


In the Middle

by cockabeetle, Kymopoleia



Category: DCU
Genre: Gay Stuff, Magic, Multi, Stockholm Syndrome in not the first chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-02-09 15:59:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1989012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cockabeetle/pseuds/cockabeetle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kymopoleia/pseuds/Kymopoleia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>http://www.deviantart.com/art/Robins-cover-269007095<br/>we saw a thing and we accidentally on purpose totally did a thing</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jason put his hand on Dick's lower back, under the cape, and smirked. He wasn't wearing his helmet, yet, but he would put it on when he was done. At his que, Damian narrowed his eyes at Jason, mouthed "put your hands on his posterior, and you lose your hands" before starting the song, Hey Na Na by Katie Herzig. Jason turns his smile to Dick, and jerks his head towards the open floor. "A dance, Golden Boy?"

"Jason what--" Dick had been about to pull the cowl on, so suddenly being pulled against Jason was startling. "Uh, okay?" He rests his hands on Jason's shoulders. Tim snorts from his spot at the computer, he's got a broken leg, from Clayface, and can't join patrol tonight.

Jason takes Dick's hand, and kisses the back of it, before leading him into a few steps back and forth, into the open floor. He presses another quick kiss to Dick's cheekbone, then twirls him easily into Damian's arms. Damian dips his mentor, a half-smile growing as he lets Dick back up.

Dick lets them dance with him, slight blush on his cheeks and a small smile forming. He notices them getting a bit too close to Bruce's cases, the glass ones, and he starts to pull back.

Damian twirls Dick around again, barely noticing when he hits the glass case containing the suit Jason died in until he was laying on Dick, covered in broken glass and- scaled panties? He holds the green fashion monstrosity up, and can't hold back a laugh. "Todd, Todd. Isn't this yours?" Jason stares at it blankly, then he blinks and guffaws. "Holy shit- Yes, fuck, that's fucking mine." Damian snorts as he examines them, even stretching them a bit. The scales shimmer in the light.

Dick freezes, and his eyes narrow. "Damian. Put them down."

Damian rolls his eyes at his mentor. "Todd, wasn't this also originally Grayson's? Todd, Todd, please tell me it was so." He cannot help but laugh harder after Jason's whimpered "Yes," and soon both are crying, and Jason is bent at the waist, swaying. "Fuck, that's mine. N Dickie's. Fuck, what were ya tryin' to do? Blind Ivy and Penguin with your pasty diamond thighs?"

"Jason, shut up. Damian, put the pants Jason died in down. Now."

"Pants? Whaddya call what you're wearin now, super pants?" Jason could hardly breathe.

"Died in? Todd, you _died_ in something as skimpy as these? No wonder you died, they don't offer any protection." He snorted.

Dick's fist snapped out, and he stood up, frowning. "Damian, shut. Up. Both of you are desecrating Bruce's memorials, and one more word and there will be no patrol."

Damian opens his mouth to respond, but Jason is across the room in a few seconds- later, he will be unable to describe how he managed the feat- and shoving one of the- christ, how does Dick expect him not to make fun of this shit?- green booties into Damian's pouty mouth which, wow, that thing is stretched around that green fabric. "You can't tell me not to patrol, Dickie bird." He says, failing to mention that Dick has full jurisdiction over Damian's poor ass- wait, shit, that's not what he meant. Full jurisdiction over the little demon spawn.

"I can shut down the cave. Do not test me."

Jason's eyes widened, and he nodded, wrapping an arm around Damian's shoulders. Wisely, the little shit does not attempt to protest with two-decade old fabric inside his mouth.

Tim winces, and bites his lip. Dick could easily leave him down here. Dick huffs, and rights the mannequin, before motioning to it. "Put it back."

Jason nods, and removes the bootie. But, he also reaches down and takes off one of his steel-toed boots and not-so-gently shoves the shoe into Damian's mouth, steel side first.

Tim bit his lip, and turned back to the computer. Dick crosses his arms, still frowning.

"Hey, Dick, can I make a penis joke? Like, not involving the old costume or anything."

Dick's eyes narrow. "..."

"Look at his face, like, look at his mouth. That's exactly what his mouth would look like with a dick in it. Like, obviously not that shape, but, all stretched like that, see?" He pats Damian's cheeks while the boy gives him a death glare.

Dick's eyebrow raises slowly. Tim frantically waves his hands to cue for Jason to shut up.

"C'mon, the kid would totally suck a dick, and he would look just fuckin like this. Right? Right?"

Dick's eyebrow raises higher. Tim makes a zipping motion across his lips.

Jason blinks, and pats Damian's back before walking over to Tim. "Piggy back up to the house?"

Tim sighs, and crosses his arms. "I'm your Oracle for tonight, dipshit." Dick moves over to Damian and begins attempting to pull Jason's boot out of his mouth.

Jason rolled his eyes. "You can do that from the comfort of our couch, Pretender."

"But the Batcomputer is better than my tablet" Tim is whining. Tim does not care. Dick makes a distressed noise behind them.

Damian makes a loud distressed noise at Jason, and he throws the other shoe, successfully dislodging the first from Damian's mouth.

Dick checks Damian's mouth, making sure he's not bleeding. Dick is very naturally and understandably worried. Tim snickers from his spot at the computer.

Jason snorts, and Damian glares at him. "If you kill me on patrol, Kori and Roy will find you and you will be pissing out your mouth for the rest of your goddamn life, you hear me you lil shit?" Damian rolls his eyes, but he's come to the point where he doesn't obsessively try to become Jason, or hate him either, so he doesn't reply. He goes to the bathroom and washes his mouth out.

Dick crosses his arms. "Don't tempt fate, Jason. It's bad for your health."

Jason snorts and goes over Dick to put his shoes back on.

Tim looks back at the screen. "Uh, Dick? There's a riot around Arkham. Maybe you should try and get in on that?"

Jason grins and puts his helmet on. "Do you suggest I get in on that too, Pretender?"

"Try not to hit Batman or Robin, please" Dick has pulled on the cowl and headed to the batmobile.

Damian exits the bathroom just in time to run ahead of Jason and hop in the batmobile. He smirks, but Jason just straddles his bike and smirks back- not that he can see it, but it's the principle.

Dick peels out of the cave, heading for the area marked on the GPS of the car. Thanks, Timmy.

Jason follows closely, but he does anything but stay behind the batmobile. In fact, sometimes, he's in _front_ of it. He reaches the riot first, motorcycle sccreeching him into the fray. And, of course, guns blazing. He knows Dick isn't always happy with it, but he ordered rubber bullets, and if Dick doesn't think that's enough, then whatever.

30 minutes after Batman and Robin enter the fray, Dick sees a blast of purple energy flying at him. "Oh, god. This is, this is that time...! Shit!"

Tim hears Dick, and can't help but question him. "What time, Batman--?"

Jason had jumped onto someone's head three seconds prior to hearing Tim, and he screams "WILDCATS" as he presses his fingers to the trigger, sending the spray of bullets that were his sixth set of clips into the surrounding people.

Damian had his legs wrapped around one person's neck, and his arm poised to throw a birdarang, but the screech from Todd- fuck, he could hear him without the damn earpiece- screwed his aim.

There is an explosion, and Tim is yelling. It's drowned out by it for a good minute. After the radios come back on, they can hear Tim's frantic not-shouting of "Batman! Batman, what time?! Batman, respond! Batman!"

Within the minute of confusion after the explosion, the entirety of the riot had cleared out, hopefully to get naked, smoke a few joints, and hit a pair of srums while talking about their feelings. But, after that thought goes through Jason's head, he hears Tim again and his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Wait- Red, c'mon come in, was that not a joke?? Red, please, c'mon bro, Red, Wing- Fucking anyone? Please? What happened??"

"Batman?! Batman- Dick, where are you! Dick?!" Tim is scared. Why isn't Dick responding?

Jason and Damian are freaking out, except only Jason is talking. "Todd, Drake, there's a crater where Grayson was." He says after a minute of searching.

"C-crater? I. Don't. Don't tell me if there's a body."

"If there's a body, I won't be talking." Jay says as he slides down into the crater, thankful for the helmet and it's covering of his mouth and nose. Even through it, the smoke smells bad. He sees something- something white? Gleaming in the smoke? And he hears something, a groan maybe?

"Red, babe, there's something in the middle. Someone. Dami, stay where you are, the smoke's thick as shit."

"Tt, I know."

"Still." Jason rolls his eyes, and edges through the smoke to see- is that a glittering _green_? A red? An obnoxious yellow? "Damian, I told you to stay out of the smoke."

"I did."

"Then what the fuck is that?" He asks.

Dick groans, rubbing his eye through the mask. There are people talking but his ears are ringing. "Owww..."

"Hood, give me a visual."

Jason goes forwards two more steps, and his eyes widen. "What the fuck is this?"

Dick glancing up at the really tall guy with the bright red helmet(?) covering his face. Dick frowns. "What are you even wearing?"

Jason made an offended noise. "I am the fucking Red Hood, what the fuck are you wearing? Who are you?" Jason knows he'll say Robin, because he's wearing fucking _panties_ and, and the goddamn cape- and it's bringing back memories, because he looked a lot like that when he was younger, he remembered Dick looking like that when he was younger, and he remembers about half an hour ago, when Damian was holding his panties around. And, those look just the same, because who the fuck else even owns scaled panties? Fucking no one, that's the answer.

"I'm Betty Crocker. Obviously."

Jason blinks, then snorts, then buries his helmet in his hands. "Fuck, kid, you're great. Great to meet you, I'm fuckin Theon damn Greyjoy."

"I know that's obviously a reference to something but I'm not familiar with it, little red riding hood."

"C'mon, everyone knows about Game of Thrones, kid."

"That came out just last week, Batman bought it or me yesterday."

"Dude, that was released in 1996. 1996, you've had plenty of damn time to read it."

"...It _is_ 1996."

"It is most definitely _not_ 1996."

Dick digs into his belt, and pulls out a small calendar, pointing at the year. "It is."

Jason pulls out his phone and opens it, thank fuck for Dick and Tim's techno shit that they did to his gloves, and shows the kid his calender. Aka, one of 2014.

Dick blinks. "How'd you miniaturize a computer?"

"Uh. Your bitch ass may be _from_ 1996, but it ain't 1996 anymore. The Spice Girls have done a lot more shit since then."

"Spice girls? They're kinda popular, but. That doesn't explain why you're holding a tiny computer."

"The Spice Girls have done a lot of shit, they're very important. Also, uh, let's see. We have a new Batman, we have a new Robin, Beyonce is our lord and savior, we have a black president, we have a lot of new other heroes, and Dick Grayson is missing. Did you see him? Cowl? Black cape? Dumb voice?"

"There's been another Robin? Was I consulted on this?"

"There have been five fucking robins, I know, I was one of them. I would assume you were the first, but there's this whole thing where, first of all, no."

"There have been other Robins? Was I consulted? Did anyone think to consult me about stealing my name?"

"You can't possibly be the first robin, I saw him six minutes ago!"

"My name is Richard Johnathon Grayson, I'm the last Flying Grayson, I watched my parents die when I was eight."

"I would say you're lying, but I heard that tone of voice like half an hour ago and I only know one person with thighs that white who chose to wear scaled panties. What I want to know, is why the fuck you're a good damn twenty years and four robins in the future."

"I don't flipping know, there was an explosion in the Batcave and then you were yelling at me."

"First of all, I am not yelling, I was yelling when I stopped dying. You would remember, if you were like, thirty like you're supposed to be. But, moving on, I want to tell you that if you ever consider cursing, don't it'll be funny as hell in like a decade, I swear to fuck."

Dick stares up at him, frowning. "You keep referencing me being thirty, but I don't believe you."

"You become super thirty, Dickie bird."

"'Dickie bird'? ...That's so lame!"

"You like it, Dickie, you're lame. Would you rather Golden Boy? Assman?"

Dick wrinkles his nose. "You're bad at names, little red riding hood. Like, the worst naming I've ever heard. Worse than Batman. Where is Batman, by the way?"

"You. You _are_ Batman, kid."

"H-huh? What happens to Bruce?"

"What the fuck do you think happened? Everyone dies, kid, I did."

"Wait, wait... Bruce... dies?" His voice gets tiny, and scared, and he curls in on himself a little.

"You- shit, kid, please don't cry on me, I don't want to hurt you again."

Dick sniffles a little, and rubs his face, which makes him flinch when he rubs his black eye wrong. He'd forgotten about it, and it was mostly hidden by his mask.

"Dick, is it okay if I take you to the batcave? Timmy's there, and Damian needs something, probably, and Alfred'll have snacks for us. Just like old times, except a lot more people, okay? It'll be fine, babe." He pauses, and laughs nervously. "Sorry, I. Didn't mean to call you babe. And it won't be exactly like old times, you were never there for me when I was around the first time, but, it'll be better."

"A-Alfie'll be there?"

"Yeah kid, we worship Al and Beyonce. It'll all be fine. And, hey, just c'mere, everything'll get better, kay?"

Dick sniffles again, but he gets up. He pauses. "You never said your name"

"Jason Peter Todd. Around your time, I was an eleven year old street rat who did some stupid shit for money because that was what I had. Lot's changed, kid."

Dick walks a forward a little, holding his rib. He's got one hand on face, and he shuffles a bit more. "If so much's changed, why's Alfie still there?"

Jason frowned, and held open his arms, because he was hoping Dick would come forwards into it, because he was _hurt_ , goddamnit. "Because Al's immortal, we hope. He's got too many of us to take care of to. To leave. Family's really big, now, Dick. Cave's never empty, Al's never alone, house is still huge but it's better."

"O-oh... It doesn't feel so empty and sad anymore?" He walks forward a bit, because that sounds... sounds nice. Safe.

Jason nods. "Yeah, it's happy. Sorta? I mean, there's always someone crying, but we're not crying alone."

"I don't have to cry alone anymore?" Dick hangs back a little, biting his lip.

Jason bites his lip, trying to keep from crying at that, and steps forwards, wrapping his arms around Dick's upper torso- not where he was holding- and pulling him into a hug. "Nah, you don't have ta cry alone. You got me, you got Dami, you got Babs and Steph and Kori and Roy and Wally and you got Alfie and you got Cass, and, and we've got you, Babe. You get us slowly, and we've all lost ourselves at one point or another, but you've got us and we've got you, babe."

"B-babs?"

"Yeah, babe, she's there for all of us. Oracle."

"Tall, Batgirl who says I'll never be taller than her, Babs? That Babs?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, babe, her too. Now, please, let's get you to the cave. Timmy's probably hyperventilating, and Dami's probably bored as fuck, he's right up the crater. And there's Alfie, and Steph, okay? C'mon, we can use the batmobile. I mean, I'll drive, but still. C'mon."

"Who're... everyone else you keep mentioning? I don't..."

"I'll explain on the way, babe, c'mon."

"O-okay..."

Jay led the kid- Dick, he led Dick to the batmobile, and started it up.

Dick stares at the car. "That's... the car?"

"It's way tricked out, kid." Jay says.

Across the compound, Damian is still standing by the crater, his hands outstretched and his face a bitter bitch face. "What the fuck is that and where the fuck is it's pants." he hisses.

Jason stares past Dick at Damian. "You can ride the bike, Dick's in the panties again."

"You're fucking with me, you have got to be fucking fucking with me. You planned this. What did I do to you Todd."

"If this was a joke then I would not be climbing into the batmobile, you little demon bitch. Ride my bike, don't crash it. We'll talk at the cave, when you see Dick's, okay Dickie babe, don't get mad at me, but it's a downgrade. Your ass is illegal now, so I can't say it's great, but just between me and Dami, it's fucking fantastic."

"You're like 30 why are you talking about my butt."

"I am like, twenty something, excuse you. And earlier today, me and Damian were talking about your ass, it's a thing."

Dick blinked at him. "You're weird."

"Just get in the car, I won't be a stranger in like, two years. Three? Two and a half? Ish?"

Dick frowns, but he goes. "Holy technology--!"

"Please, fuck, Dick, never fucking change." Jason laughed, pulling off his helmet as he started the car on its reprogrammed route. He runs a few fingers through the red and white of his hair, and yawns. It's still early, but he doesn't sleep enough.

Dick stares a little. "Wouldn't people notice the hair?"

"The white came later. From a thing that I keep alluding to, but also no, it'll traumatize you later, around the same time it traumatizes B. But, he actually made me dye it while I wore the panties."

"They're not panties."

"I wore them for a damn two and a half years, they're fucking panties."

"I've worn them for 8. They're not."

Jason fixed Dick with a pointed stare. "C'mon, just between us, the only robins who wore the panties, they were fucking panties. Scaly panties. And it looked great, our pasty ass thighs pull it off amazingly, and you have the ass for it. I do too, but then again, you wore them first. Being honest, you wore it better. I only wore them to try and please Bruce, but." He blinks and remembers that this is being broadcast. "Never mind."

Dick stares at him more. Then Tim's voice comes in over the speakers. "Hood what the hell is going on why are Batman's vitals still zero and where did you get that audio of him when he was 15?"

"I don't know where B is, but he is also right here, as Robin. It terrifies me that you know what he sounded like then. I'm taking him to the batcave, and if you try to tell me no, then you better stop me yourself, Pretender."

"Hood I can't leave this chair without assistance, you know that. And you know my background."

"I know, you creepy son of a bitch. I both hate and love that about you, you stalker." He turns to Dick. "By the way, the third slash fifth robin was a stalker and, hey babe, did you ever get any shots of me before I became the man following the main act?"

"How do you think I knew you weren't Dick in the first place. Also I watched you steal the bat-tires, if that counts?"

Jason blinked in surprise. "Wow. Fuck. By the way, Dick, guess how I met Bats."

"...You tried to steal the tires off the batmobile? Wow, suicidal much?"

"Someone told me to, a long time ago. He was wearing a cowl, I think? and he had a cape, but he said he wasn't Batman. And he told me to steal the tires off the batmobile, that it would make my life better." He removed the domino and rubbed his eyes. "I ended up dying, actually. But I guess it's better now? Sort of?" He shakes his head.


	2. Chapter 2

Meanwhile, 18 years and an hour in the past, Dick Grayson opens his eyes to see Batman, the original Batman, standing over him, glaring.

Bruce had just brought Robin home, when there was an explosion and a crater. In the damn cave. And in the middle of the crater, a _second damn Batman_ sat, cowl and all. It wasn't exactly his outfit, but it really was just close enough.

Dick glanced around, saw they were in the cave, and pulled the cowl off.

Bruce blinked, because the eyes set under a dark brow were familiar, and possibly the shape of the face and lips too, but the man was tall, and he was older, possibly in his thirties, and he looked. Sad. "Who are you." He says, not moving from his defensive position.

"Richard Johnathon Grayson, age 34."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Bruce studies him, and the blossoming bruise across his right cheekbone. It reminds him of earlier that night, and how he had struck Dick. Seeing the mirroring between them makes him regret striking Dick.

Dick smiles a little sarcastically. "Your name is Robert Bruce Wayne, you're the heir and CEO of Wayne enterprises, I'm sitting in a crater caused by an explosion centered around your ward who shares my name and I remember going to the future when I was 16-ish."

Bruce stares for a few minutes, then he removes the cowl and puts his head in his hands. "Did you figure out what caused the discrepancy?"

"...No. I remember getting hit by you, then waking up in the crater being yelled at by the Red Hood in 2014. I was in the middle of a riot, there was a purple thing, it exploded, now I'm here"

"Red Hood? The Joker went back to that?" Bruce groans, and Alfred brings a hot cup of tea to him. He hadn't liked the Joker when he first used that name, and he didn't like him now.

"Uh, no. Kid takes it as a fuck you to Joker"

Bruce sighs in relief, then his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Wait, a kid?"

"Well technically he's 27 but he's also technically 13?"

Bruce stared for a long time, then he glances at Alfred. "Alfred, please bring me something a lot stronger than tea." He turns back to Dick. "Is everything this complicated after a decade?"

"Well, it's almost two decades, and... lots of things happened." He fidgets a little, glancing away from Bruce's face.

Bruce nods. "Go on."

"Uh. Spoilers."

"Excuse me?" Bruce says, voice going deeper a few octaves.

Dick turns a glare at him. "Well, I'm not, I'm not telling. If you're angry you can hit me, I'm over eighteen now"

For a second, a retort began to ready itself, but then Bruce actually hears what Dick said, and his shoulders relax, his posture going from defensive to a slump. "Does that happen often?"

Dick winces, and then he flinches a little, holding his chest a bit, hissing.

Bruce curses lowly. Of course, he knew that he would end up a bitter old man, but he didn't think that hitting Dick became something that he did often enough to warrant that reaction.

Dick bit his lip. "N-no, you don't do it much, just... I remember..." Dick holds his rib, and shifts slightly. "I, I didn't mean to imply..."

"No, I understand. Don't try to cover it up."

Dick blinks up at him. "I'm... I'm not. You don't... you don't do it that much."

"That's how things are now. It obviously gets worse."

"Not that... much." Dick repeats. He starts to stand up, but stumbles a little, leg gives out underneath him. "Rahatul ...!"

Bruce switches the tea to his left hand, and steps forwards to catch Dick's arm, and help him up.

Dick hisses, flinching away and nearly falling again.

Bruce swallows the knowledge that just touching Dick makes him flinch, and takes the arm a bit more forcefully, trying to get him to stand so they could get to the medical area. Metal table and cabinets, really.

"Rib, rib! Let go, let go!" Dick hadn't meant to yell, but it hurt and Bruce needed to let go of that arm now, now _now_.

Bruce held up his hands, wincing. "We need to get you to the medical bay."

Dick nods, and stands, wobbling only a little.

Bruce reaches out and puts a hand on the small of Dick's back, hoping that there are no more injuries for him to irritate.

Dick hisses, eyes squeezing shut. "Bruise! Bruise!" He holds his left arm out, offering Bruce the only non-injured part of him.

Bruce takes it, and glances up as Alfred approaches with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. "What about Master Bruce, Master Richard?"

"Hi, Alfie. Bruce isn't having any luck with my body."

Bruce let his eyebrows go up. "Your _body_? Have I tried anything?"

Dick stutters, realizing the verbal misstep after he says it. "N-no I. Misspoke. I apologize"

Bruce sighs heavily. "Why do you act as if I'm going to attack you at any goddamn moment?"

Dick blinks at him as if he hadn't realized he'd been doing it.

Bruce stopped them next to the medical table, and put his hands on Dick's shoulders, trying to look him in his eyes.

Dick blinked again, not sure what to say.

"I don't know what I end up doing to you, and I am sorry for it, but I have not done it yet and I am trusting you with my identity and my safe place. I am not your Bruce, and I am not going to harm you."

Dick blinks again, and after a minute or two, in a tiny little voice, he answers. "I don't... have a Bruce anymore..."

Bruce wants to react, know how he dies and when, but he instead makes Dick strip so he can see the injuries, and makes him sit on the metal table in a pair of boxer briefs with a strange blue bird symbol on it, and stripes on the seams? Bruce doesn't understand.

Dick does, and he might be sniffling a little, but his ribs and his knee and his face hurt. He can be forgiven.

Bruce starts with the knee, because he cannot handle emotions very well, he does just fine by pretending his own don't exist night after night. "This was done by a rubber bullet, or, two? Two."

"We're weaning Hood off the guns. ...Slowly."

"You keep talking about this Hood, so obviously he's important to you. Tell me about him."

"He's... spoilers."

"Tell me his first name, or middle name, I don't care which, and about his personality. What he is to you. His eye color, maybe?"

"Jason. Peter. He's fucked up- and that's by your standards, by the way- he's the first one you adopt, though you never told him, and he's got these really awkward green-blue-grey eyes that are really attractive and annoying."

Bruce nods. "Are you and he together?"

Dick blinks. "...No. He and your only biological son are fighting over me? Sort of?"

"Only biological son?" Bruce asks, then holds up a hand when Dick opens his mouth. "I don't want to know. Alfred, please pour me a drink."

"...And then there's Timmy. And Cass."

"Okay."

"Cass is your only daughter, and biggest fan. And Timmy's like your perfect heir? Except not?"

Bruce moves to the bruise on Dick's back, and presses two fingers to the center, where it's darkest. "Keep going."

Dick hisses, jerking away from the touch, which aggravates his ribs. He whimpers, biting his lip and trying not to cry outright.

Bruce pulls his hand back, and goes to the tray that had been set at the end of the table, pouring himself a full glass of whiskey. "It's from a crowbar. I haven't gotten to the ribs yet."

Dick bites through his lip, and then he gets flashes of Jason's death and he can't hold back the second whimper.

Bruce sighs, and goes to Dick's ribs, touches light but pressing, seeing if there's a break.

Dick hisses, but he forces himself not to flinch.

Bruce, after a minute of this, grabs Dick's chin and forces him to look at him, thumb coming up to tug his lower lip down.

Dick freezes, eyes wide. There are a few tears gathered at the corners that haven't fallen from sheer willpower alone.

Bruce wipes the blood off with a rag that came from- he's not actually sure? He doesn't remember picking it up. Then he realizes it's black, and silky, and it's the cape. He doesn't mind though, because he didn't have to go get it.

Alfred appears from somewhere, with a plate of Brownies and M&M cookies. "Master Richard, I brought your favorites."

Bruce glances at the platter, and is sorely tempted to take a brownie, but at the last moment he reaches for the whiskey instead.

Dick smiles, and it's a little watery but he can be forgiven. "Thanks, Alfie..." He grabs a brownie, nibbling at the edge a little, and the soft smile he gets in return makes Dick's whole face light up.

Bruce took a long gulp of the whiskey, effectively downing half the glass. "Dick." He says, turning.

Dick looks up at him, half of the brownie sticking out of his mouth.

"Do you ever end up... Happy?"

"Happy? I... _am_ happy. Given the circumstances."

Bruce's eyebrows went up. "You, this, this is happy?"

Dick nods a little.

Bruce drinks the other half of the whiskey.

Dick frowns a little, and grabs another brownie, not sure what to say.

"Did I ever marry before I died? Or have anyone special in my life?"

"Well... you and Selina were pretty close still, and Diana, for a while, too..."

A small smile at that. "Diana? Did Clark and I ever?"

"Uh... Kryptonians have a mating cycle? That's what Timmy said, anyway."

Bruce's eyebrows go up. "Does that mean we did, and does that mean Tim did either?"

"You and Clark and- oh, oh, Doamne I did not mean it that way, Cadmus made a clone of Clark and Luthor who ended up being really close friends with Timmy oh, La dracu, nu."

Bruce drank more whiskey, and nodded. "Okay."

Dick rubs his face tiredly. Dick is emotionally and physically exhausted, and he's having trouble keeping his eyes open. He starts to sway a little, like he's about to pass out.

Bruce goes to Dick and tries to figure out the best way to carry him, and settles on bridal, heaving Dick up into his arms. "Come on."

Dick passes out completely, mumbling "Hello darkness my old friend"

Bruce rolls his eyes and snorts, carrying Dick up to a bedroom- not the one that his sixteen year old self was in, because, no, but up to a soft bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile 18 years in the future, 16 year old Dick is sitting in the cave, having his ribs wrapped while munching on the best brownies he's ever had. He really needs to get this recipe so he can give it to Alfie.

Jason is sitting across from Dick, wrapping his wrists because, apparently, jumping onto people's heads and sending off a barrage of bullets whilst screaming "wildcats" was not good for bones and joints and muscles. It was worth it though, even though the memory was tainted by what followed.

Tim is sitting next to Jason, watching Dick eat. "I can't believe how happy he is..."

Jason nods. "I can't believe he hasn't heard of Justin Bieber yet. Like, what a lucky bastard."

Tim kicks him, hard. With the cast.

Jason laughs through his pain, and pulls out his phone. "Please, can I show him?"

Tim shakes his head a little. "If you show Dick JB and he likes that trash dump, and Bruce ends up causing JB's rise to power because he'll do anything if Dick pouts, I blame _you_ "

Jason rolled his eyes. "But, c'mon, you gotta admit. That pout would get him anything in life."

"It didn't keep his parents alive. Or ours, for that matter. Or Bruce."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "My parents died before I met any of you, don't group me in with your trauma conga, Pretender."

"Your mom is alive. Well, one of them"

Jason hisses and stands up, walking away. Not in Dick's direction either, just, away.

Dick blinks at him, frowning a little. "You okay?"

"No, Tim's a prick."

"That's kinda harsh, what did he do?"

"He mentioned an awful person."

Dick blinks at him expectantly.

Jason frowns. "You were softer as an adult. Like, hugs all around."

"I need context before I hug you."

"I like when you're hugs-first then context."

"I don't know you yet. All I know is your name and vague backstory."

Jason pouted. "You seriously needed more than that to hug someone at some point in time?"

Dick crosses his arms. "I am in an unfamiliar familiar place, with people who I do but do not know who are both younger and older than me at the same time. I want my context."

"Fine. I saw my mom while in the middle east, I went to go talk to her because she was, you know, my mom, and she beat me unconscious and gave me to the Joker, thus being a direct fucking cause of my imminent demise. Kapish?"

Dick blinks once, and then he just opens his arms. "Watch my ribs."

Jason walks over to him and wraps his arms around Dick, burying his face in his hair.

Dick pats his back a little, sighing. "Îmi pare rău."

"Dickie, babe, I love when you speak languages I don't know to me."

"I would've thought I'd teach you my native language"

"You hated me at first, but then I died, then you tried to teach me, then I said no, fuck Bruce, and learned Korean. Well they were mutually exclusive events, but that's how it happened."

Dick blinks at him. "You sound dumb."

"Got it from ya, dickie." Jay grins and presses a big smooch to Dick's cheek.

Dick scrunches his nose. "You're sticky."

"Wha?" He looks down at himself, then grimaces. "Alfred? Can you do a load a laundry for me?"

Dick can't hold back the little noise of disgust he made, and wrinkled his nose again.

"Hey, its not my fault I'm covered in blood, smoke, sweat, and chocolate sauce."

Dick frowns more, and pushes him away a little.

Jay rolls his eyes and backs up, shrugging his jacket off and laying it on the metal table next to Dick. Then his shirt, then his undershirt. Then he started unbuttoning his pants.

Dick blushes, and shoves Jason away with his feet.

Jason falls over, landing on his arm, and he lets out a loud yelp of surprise. "What the fuck?"

"You don't get naked next to a 16-year-old!!"

"I wasn't getting naked!" Jason yells back, pushing his pants down his hips to reveal black yoga pants.

Dick glares at him anyway. "A warning would've been nice!"

"We were _talking_ about my sticky clothes, did you just expect me to just fuckin wear them?"

"Move to the showers if you're going to strip it's only polite to do it out of sight, what are, a barbarian?"

"I am an attractive man who is secure enough to strip around family!"

"If we're family why do you keep hitting on me?!"

"Because we're not biological and I'm fucked up!"

Dick frowns. "Then don't acknowledge the family ties."

"I have to do that, okay? It's. It's a thing."

Dick wrinkles his nose a little, and Tim sighs loudly from the other side of the cave. Dick blinks in his direction. "I'm guessing that's Tim?"

"Yes, wanna come meet him? He's great." He finishes shimmying his sticky pants off, and fishes his phone out of his pants.

"I thought you were mad because he's a prick?" Dick is genuinely confused.

"He's a great prick, and he's got a great prick."

Dick blinks, and he blushes, and Tim chokes on the tea Alfred had just handed him. Alfred sighs.

Jason winks at Tim across the cave, and offers Dick a hand. "C'mon, come meet the one you picked."

"I picked?"

"Sort of. There was a thing? Red's a stalker and a cutie."

"...Those two things do not usually go together"

"You called him both, babe. C'mon, he's one of the two you approved."

"I approved of two? Two what?"

"Robins." Jason rolled his eyes.

"...huh."

"Surprising, right? You're actually the one who brought Timmy to B."

Dick hums, and glances up at Tim. Tim has swung the chair back around, and has started typing on the...

"What is that thing he's sitting at?"

"Batcomputer. It's like, crazy advanced. After the old one half died, Timmy revamped it and completely recoded it, or something? I ain't as good with you two's techno babble, I'm good with the hardware." He winks at Dick.

Dick blinks at him. "That's... that's a computer?"

"Uh, yeah." Jason chuckled. "You would love movies nowadays, it's fuckin fantastic."

Dick blinks, and he smiles a little hopefully. "Movies?"

"Yeah, babe, would you be upset if we did a Disney marathon? I remember you always were a huge nut. The animation," He groaned. "Fuck, it's fantastic. They animate everything now, I think, but the last one they made, Frozen, Dickie the main character had 400k hairs on her head. That's," he makes an explosion symbol around his head, accompanied by a noise.

Dick blinked. "There are words leaving your mouth, but I do not understand them."

"Do you watch star trek."

"I've seen a couple episodes? I'm not all that familiar with it...?"

"Okay, I'm gonna tell you something. Watch it now, while you can still catch up to it. Kay? Promise you'll watch? You'll love it."

"Now as in for however long I'm stuck here or now as in as soon as I get back?"

"I can start you on it, but you gotta promise you'll keep on it when you get home."

"And how long does it take to watch it?"

"Took me three years to get through it all."

"And how long has it been running?"

"Sixties?"

"To? How long will, er, does it last? Is it still going?"

"I don't even know. There's a reboot and movies."

Dick blinks. "Huh. The one I remember is the one with Sir Patrick Stewart."

"There's a lot of them, just, just watch it."

Dick nods a little. "But you were talking about movies and those interest me more. Tell me what new things Disney has done, I heard they were working on something vaguely Greek-themed before I. Ended up here."

Jason's face lit up and he bounced on his heels. "Ooh, I remember sneaking into the theater to see that, Hercules! It was sugar sweet, for the kids, but still."

Dick blinked. "Can I see it?"

Jay nodded. "Course."

Dick smiles widely, and he swings his feet a little. "...Would my clothes still exist or am I stuck in the uniform...?"

"They exist, just what you consider yours now is bigger, and you gave a lot of your shit to me and Tim. And Steph."

"Who is Steph?"

Tim doesn't turn from the computer, but he does yell an answer; "My girlfriend!"

"Also, the only girl Robin. Total babe, probably hates me."

Tim snorts. "She doesn't hate you, she's just weary. You did nearly kill me on two separate occasions"

"Yeah but, being fair, I was a homicidal maniac for a few years. It wasn't just you, kid."

"You were very single minded, Big Red"

Dick blinked.

"And you aren't like that too?"

Tim huffs. "No. I obsess over multiple things at once"

"I do that too, there are certain things I obsess over for years and years."

Tim hums. He's working on his proof that Bruce is still alive.

Jason grabbed Dick's hand. "Hey, follow me babe."

Dick blinks, but he lets Jason lead him.

Jason takes him upstairs, then up to the hallway they all stayed in. "Do you want to sleep in future yours' room?"

"Is it the same room I had before? Or did I move?"

Jay shrugged and opened a door to a dark blue room. There are posters and cases everywhere, and it's a clean messy, sorta, and there's the Nightwing suit hanging with the curtains in front of the window. "Uh. Here it is."

Dick stares. "What's the suit? I thought I was Batman?"

"You are. You were Nightwing, too. As Nightwing, you cleaned up Blüdhaven and protected their people but, the moment B called, you came flying or riding in."

Dick nods a little. "Nightwing? That sounds like a story Superman told me..."

"Tell me about it, babe." Jay falls down onto the bed. "God, your bed is fantastic."

Dick blinks. "Was that a 'tell me this story' or 'shut up, Dick'?"

"Definitely the former, kid."

"Oh! Okay. Superman told me about this guy, hundreds of years ago on Krypton, who was cast out by the whole city. Society as a whole and stuff. I don't remember most of the story, but he dressed up like a bird, a Nightwing, and wore a costume and fought crime. He had a sidekick based off a Flamebird, too."

"I considered Flamebird, but I didn't end up going for it, I think." Jay smiled. "Do you like the future?"

Dick frowns a little, thinking. "It's..... I... I dunno. I haven't seen much of it yet. And Bruce isn't here."

"But a lot of other people are."

Dick nods. "S'why I dunno"

"I don't know how long you're here. But, we can make it worthwhile, right?"

Dick blinks. "Is that an innuendo or are you referring to something else?"

"It's only an innuendo if you're comfortable with it."

Dick bit his lip. "I... I dunno. Maybe"

"Come in, put on clothes, you ain't got nothing I ain't seen before Dickie. And, if you don't want me to look anyways, I won't. I might fall asleep."

Dick bit his lip. "But if that suit is made to my size as an adult I'm too small for everything in here"

"Not the suit, normal clothes. Lounge. Nap. Eat. Watch movies and be close to your future friends."

"But nothing in here will fit me"

"The shirts will be loose, and you can borrow Tim or Steph's. Steph works."

Dick frowned at him. "Well then will you show me where they keep these clothes or go get some for me, because that would be wonderful."

"Two doors to your left is Tim's, last door in the hall on the right is Steph's."

Dick bites his lip. "Is it alright for me to just go through their things?"

"Well, the entire manor is under constant surveillance, by Tim or Babs, or B-" he looks at the ceiling. "Little Red already knows, he better not mind. My shit's too big for your ass."

Dick blinks. "Surveillance? I don't see any cameras..."

"The ironic Batman poster, the unironic Mulan poster, your favorite jeans, the ones with the rip in the right back pocket that show your boxers, the bead that you pull to turn off the light."

Dick blinks, and goes to examine them. After a few minutes he throws his hands up in defeat. The future is too much for him and he's tired of being awake. He'll get clothes in the morning. The bed is bigger than he remembers it being, but it's in the right place and the poster of him and Zitka is still on the ceiling above it so he's happy.

Jason rolls over to watch him, then smiles and pats the bed. "Come, sleep. I won't try anything, swear on my grave."

Dick frowns. "You shouldn't swear on a grave, even your own."

"What do I swear on? I don't believe in god, not with some of the people I've met. In our line of work, the only thing we are assured is our grave."

Dick sighed. "You don't have to specify what you swear on, just saying 'I swear' is enough"

"Gotta swear on somethin, GB."

"GB?" Dick frowns, but he sits down on the bed. "And I can't tell you what to swear on, I don't know you yet. You'll have to figure that out for yourself"

Jason nods. "GB, short for golden boy. But, come on, I haven't slept since yesterday, and you haven't slept since 1996."

Dick mumbles a little, but he lays down next to Jason. He rubs his good eye tiredly, smiling a little.

Jason smiles back and reaches over lazily, tapping Dick on the nose with his calloused index finger.

Dick blinks, and he yawns, muffling it with his fingers. "Good night..."

Jason nods, watching Dick sleepily. "You're always beautiful. I remember thinkin' it, but my memories do you no justice."

Dick gasps, blushing. He glances away, but he's smiling a little, too.

Jason sighs happily. "Wonder if you can still keep up with your rogues. They learn new tricks all the time."

"I don't know. A whole bunch has changed, obviously. Fancy acrobatics and a never-ending barrage of commentary probably don't cut it anymore"

"You use a pair of escrima sticks now, an your charm is enough to have the rogues swoon. And, of course, there's your ever present clever words. There's a song you'd like, wordplay by Jason Mraz. Remind me to play it for you?"

"Okay. Sleep now?"

"Sure, just. I love talking to you. There's a lot more tension between older you and me, history is." He whistles.

Dick nods a little. "'M sorry." He yawns again, and his eyes start to close. Dick's always been a cuddler, but he's not sure if Jason would be okay with it. He's afraid to ask.

Jason considers how awkward it would be to ask to cuddle, since he's not wearing very much, but he's also acutely aware that Dick is nearly twenty years in the future, injured, and probably overwhelmed with emotions. So Jay closes his eyes and opens his arms. "C'mere, I'm warm and cuddly, jus' don' tell Roy H."

"Roy? Is he the angry one Mister Queen brought over that one time?" Dick asks, pretty much on autopilot. He leans into Jason, and he can't help the content little sigh he lets out.

Jason wraps an arm around Dick, humming into his hair. "Mhm, been a long time since Ollie was 'mister queen' to anybody but his employees."

"I don't know him well enough to call him anything but that" Dick mumbles, one arm curling between then while the other draped over Jason's side.

Jason squeezes his eyes shut. "Mm."

Dick falls asleep, and he's perfectly content to stay that way. He feels safe, and even if the room isn't the same, it is his room. Jason feels safe, too. Which isn't something he'd thought he'd even think about a someone with the alias Red Hood.

Jason sleeps easily, and the kid in his arms is just as much Dick as the one he'd danced with the day before. Sure, he was younger and less damaged, but that just meant Jason held him tighter. He wished Dick wouldn't ever have to deal with his own trauma conga, but there was no escape.


	4. Chapter 4

Dick woke up slowly, rubbing his eye. He sat up, and winced a little when his muscles pulled on the bruises from that riot.

Glancing at the clock, he found it was 12:00, which was weird, normally he was woken up earlier. Was something happening today?

Downstairs, Bruce was in a well-worn wooden chair, a plate in front of him with a pair of sandwiches on it. He's looking out the window, though, letting the cold cuts get colder as he thinks, trying to figure out what to do about... Dick.

It's after Dick registers that he doesn't recognize the room, and that his injuries have all been treated, that he remembers what happened yesterday in full. He's 18 years in the past with a Bruce he doesn't know how to act around. And every time he interacts with the man he just makes it worse. Dick bites his lip. Maybe he should try and figure out if Bruce left him any clothing to wear before trying to do anything more.

Bruce sips at his iced tea, and decides to grab the pen and pad he always carries- he chose green ink today- and scratches down a basic outline for another protocol, what to do in case of time shenanigans.

Dick fails to find anything, and he really has no idea what part of the manor he's in. He's almost scared to try and leave the room, but... maybe that's what he should do? To ask for help?

Alfred knocks on Dick's door, and smiles at him when it opens. "Master Richard, these should fit." He offers Dick a stack of clothing, complete with socks.

Dick smiles in thanks, bowing his head a little. "Thanks Alfie, you're the best"

Alfred nods. "If you say so. Do you require anything else, Master Richard?"

"Uh, not that I know of?"

"If you require anything, simply ask and I shall do my best." Alfred bows his head before turning to leave.

Dick smiles. "Sure thing, Alfie" Dick closes the door, and gets dressed. The only thing he's missing is shoes, but that's fine. He probably won't be leaving the manor for a while anyway.

Bruce is still sitting at the table, and now he's stopped with the protocol and started sketching Dick in his robin costume, standing on a building. He makes a few changes to the costume in the doodle- longer sleeves, longer cape, _pants_.

Dick steps downstairs. He's got a slight limp, but his knee doesn't hurt much and really he's fine.

Bruce glances up at the older Dick as he enters, and nods. "I have a question. Did you actually like the scaled, er, bottoms on your Robin costume?"

Dick blinks. "Uh, yeah. I needed them for maximum mobility."

Bruce nodded. "Alright, I was never actually sure if that was something you were. Happy with."

Dick nods. "They were my choice. I liked them"

Bruce nodded again. "Alright. Feel free to sit and eat something."

Dick nodded, and sat down at his usual spot at the table, though he really didn't feel like eating.

"So, what is the future like, Dick?" Bruce sets down his pen and trains his eyes on him. "What year specifically are you from?"

"2014. The future is... interesting. We have a black president, if that counts for anything"

Bruce nodded. "Have we had a female president?"

"We've had a few runners, but not yet."

"What is the technology like?"

Dick smiles, and taps his chin. "It's getting progressively smaller, but also capable of holding more and more information. We tend to keep bugs and even small cameras on all of the family, and use ear pieces to communicate rather than hand signals, since it's easier and less time consuming"

"Do you have any of this on you currently?"

"On my suit, I think my ear piece is scrap, though." As he speaks, he reaches up to check it. He pulls his hand fro his ear to show a small little microphone in the palm of his hand. "Probably a mix of being in a time before it was invented and that explosion"

Bruce reaches across the table for the microphone.

Dick hands it over, and smiles apologetically.

Bruce doesn't return the smile, because he doesn't see it. He studies the microphone, then nods and hands it back over. "Interesting."

Dick nods, and tucks it back in his ear. For all he knows, when he's in the correct time it will work again. He feels a bit bad for the panic attack Tim probably got because of what happened, though.

"There's talk of creating a team. Does that go through?" Bruce asks, playing with the food on his plate.

"The Teen Titans. Yeah, it happens. There are a few that come after that, too"

Bruce nods. "Who led it?"

Dick smiles sheepishly.

"You did?"

Dick nods a little. "It seemed like a great idea, at the time. Both times."

Bruce nodded. "I'm sure you did, do, a fine job."

Dick bit his lip, looking down. "I tried. The JLA is really extensive, too..."

Bruce nods. "I'm happy to hear it."

Dick smiles. He's not sure what else to say, at this point. He remembers his little romp in the future, but he hasn't thought about it in years.

Bruce thinks too, about the Justice League and his rogues and Dick. "When do you come back from the future?"

"Uh, it was... around a month"

"Alright. I can support you while you are here, the only issue is patrol. You cannot wear the cowl when I still do."

Dick nods. "Yeah, I figured. I did have an identity between being Robin and taking the cowl, but that suit won't exist yet"

Bruce nods. "What did you end up choosing to be?"

"Nightwing."

Bruce smiles. "Nice choice."

Dick ducks his head, smiling. "Thank you"

Bruce looks down at his sandwich, considering whether or not he should eat it. He's not really hungry, but it would be easier to eat now than to eat later on, considering his schedule is erratic.

Dick fiddles with his hair, making no move to even grab any food.

"Are you hungry?"

Dick looks up, shaking his head. "Not particularly"

Bruce looks around the room for some idea of what to say. "Is the manor less empty in the future?"

Dick nods, smiling a little. "You amass this huge family, everyone from Selina to Kate."

Bruce smiles. "Huge family? I look forwards to it."

Dick nods. "You were always happy when everyone was home, or at least most of us"

"I imagine. This house has always been too empty."

Dick nods a little, eyes going a little distant.

Bruce doesn't know what to say, so he stares at the sandwich.

Dick bites his lip, and goes back to playing with his hair.

"Do I make a protocol for this, after you go back? I know I wrote it, but I'm not sure what exactly to..." He gestures at the pad.

"You do, you give each of us a different question-answer pair to recite if something happens. Jason never really paid attention, though"

Bruce nods. "Is Jason difficult to deal with?"

"...In a way" Dick scratches the back of his neck. "He's impulsive, and doesn't always listen, and after... he just got angry on top of it"

Bruce nods. "That sounds familiar."

Dick glances up. "You haven't met him yet"

"No, but you were getting there. Not quite impulsive, but you were upset with me a lot, around this time. We both get angry, but nothing I do seems to help the situation."

"I... felt like I was being treated like a child, when I was clearly old enough to be treated as an... equal? It's been... a long time, since I felt that way"

"You were sixteen." Bruce says, as if that has anything to do with anything. "Sixteen year olds are impulsive, and make mistakes, and have their whole lives ahead of them. You have your whole life ahead of you."

Dick nods a little. "The whole thing seems childish and pointless, especially for how long I held onto it, but..."

Bruce nods again. "I understand."

Dick glances down. "I apologize in advance. It's going to be a long time before we'll be able to talk civilly again"

"Well, atleast I'll be able to know everything ends up fine. You end up fine."

Dick nods a little. "For the most part..."

"Most part?"

"Gotham is hit by a colossal earth quake, and we end up almost abandoned by the rest of the world for a while. It's shortly after that point that Darkseid..."

Bruce hums. "Colossal earth quake? Is that even geologically possible, I don't think we're on a fault line."

Dick shrugged. "I blame magic"

"This is why I don't like metas in Gotham." Bruce sighs heavily.

Dick nods. "Most everyone leaves, after No Man's Land is declared, and the Rogues who stayed even help us keep those who couldn't get out alive"

Bruce's eyebrows go up. "Really?"

Dick nods. "Ivy helped the most, she had a band of orphans she kept safe until No Man's Land was repealed"

Bruce nods. "Sounds like her."

Dick nods. "She and Harley have gotten really close, too. Plus they've been working with Oracle's Birds a lot, recently, as well"

Bruce hums.

"...You don't know who Oracle is, right. Babs takes on the title after some stuff happens. She's really great with computers and has convinced half the superhero community she's a super-advanced AI"

Bruce nods. "Do more batgirls follow?"

"Cassandra Cain takes the title, after Babs loses her legs, and eventually Stephanie Brown takes it after her."

Bruce nods again. "Are there more robins, after you leave?"

Dick bites his lip. "5, technically 6"

Bruce blinks. "Huh."

"Well, two died, and Timmy has the title twice"

Bruce frowned. "Some die?"

"One got tricked by his mother, and the other was trying to prove she was worthy and accidentally started a gang war. They get better"

Bruce's eyebrow went up. "She?"

"Stephanie"

"Oh." Bruce picks up his cup of coffee- now cold- and stands, dumping it into the sink to pour another that he would, probably, go without drinking as well.

Dick bites his lip. "Neither of them stay dead, and only one of them got angry at you for not avenging them"

"Avenging them? Why would I do that?" He frowns. "I don't do this for revenge."

Dick nods. "Yeah... He was angry, because Joker took him from you, and shot Babs, and he felt like you didn't do anything about it"

Bruce thought for a minute, then shook his head. "I do not look forwards to that future."

Dick bit his lip, head bowing. "I'm sorry"

He shook his head again and made a dismissive hand gesture. "Do not be, it was not your fault."

"If I'd been there, maybe he wouldn't have gone looking for his mother. Maybe it wouldn't have happened."

"Dick." Bruce said, tone full of warning. "Don't blame yourself, even if you had been there he would have probably gone after her. Kids do that. The only difference would have been that you were there."

"He was 15, Bruce."

Bruce looks down at the coffee. "I'm going to remember this when it happens, won't I."

Dick bit his lip, and wipes his eyes. "Probably. You don't take it well, at all"

"You obviously don't, either."

"You got really violent, Tim came to me and tried to convince me take back the Robin title, I recommended him to you instead"

Bruce nods. "If there's nothing I can do to stop it."

"I'm surprised you haven't asked about Timmy yet, he was eleven when he came to me, never spoke to either of us before, either"

"Tell me about him?"

"At the age of nine he deduced who I was upon seeing Robin perform a quadruple backflip. He knew Jason wasn't me for the same reason, and after seeing how dangerous you got after Jay's death he came to me. I told him I couldn't take the mantle back, and said he'd be a better detective than I ever was. He was the third and fifth Robins."

Bruce nodded, and drank a sip of the coffee. "And the fourth and sixth robins?"

"Stephanie, she's Robin for about a week. She was Tim's girlfriend. They're kinda on again off again, really. After she comes back Babs takes her under her wing and she's the new and current Batgirl. Cass is stationed in Hong Kong under the name Black Bat." Dick scratches the back of his neck. "Number six is Damian, your son with Talia Al Ghul"

Bruce wants to say something about the last one, but he doesn't. "Alright."

Dick scratches his neck. "Damian never really got to know you, he's more my Robin than yours"

Bruce winced. "Oh."

Dick bites his lip, nodding.

Bruce looks at the coffee. "Is it too early to drink something stronger?"

Dick shrugs. "Are we talking about the time of day or the year?"

"Time of day."

Dick hums. "I'm sure it's fine, you aren't expecting anybody over, are you?"

"When am I ever?"

"The ever popular socialite persona of yours spends at least half the year in one party or another, if my memory isn't faulty"

"Yeah, but that's only at night time."

"You extend it into the day, to make more time for Batman"

"I do that eventually? Huh."

Dick nods. "By the time I come back into Gotham full-time, yeah"

"Oh. That must have been quite the switch."

"You called everyone back just before NML was declared, but we're there for our own. I stayed afterwards, Gotham needed me more than Bludhaven"

"You just, left your own city." Bruce frowns. "Did I ask you to do that?"

Dick blinks. "You needed me."

"But, did I ask you to come? I'm sure someone else could have helped. If you were well situated, I would only have asked for you if I had no other option."

"Gotham was almost completely destroyed, you needed all the help you could get. I came the moment you asked me to"

Bruce nodded. "And what about when Gotham was fixed?"

"You were dead."

"That was when you became Batman?"

Dick nods. "Darkseid attacked, and you died defeating him. Tim has theories you're actually... not dead, but I just..." Dick puts his face in his hands.

"You didn't have to take on the cowl, Dick. I know you felt you did, but if it wasn't good for you then you didn't have to."

"You had the second Azreal take the cowl first. Things went wrong, and honestly I didn't want it, but it was best for me to take it, than leave it in the hands of someone who wasn't ready or someone who already had too much on his plate"

Bruce set his coffee down, then picked it up and dumped it in the sink. "I know my apologies are worth nothing, but they're all I have to offer. Dick, I am so sorry."

Dick smiles. "Not your fault."

He shook his head. "I still feel guilty for it, Dick."

Dick shakes his head. "Don't. I don't blame you."

Bruce nods. "You shoiuld."

Dick frowns. "I don't want to."

"What happened that you went from blaming me for everything to." He paused. "Not."

Dick frowned. "You're not perfect, and I can't expect you to be."

"But, you should blame me for things I'm responsible for. Take the weight off your own shoulders."

"I'm fine, Bruce. I don't want to blame you for something I chose to do. Damian and Gotham needed me more than Bludhaven and Nightwing did."

Bruce sighed. "If there's nothing I can say to change your mind, fine."

Dick nods, and glances away.

"Is there anything you want to do while in 1996?"

Dick glanced up. "I'm not sure. Everything feels so... outdated"

"Well, here it's state of the art. Think of it as," Bruce searches for the right word. "Retro."

Dick snickers. "I never thought I'd hear you say that word, Oh my god"

"Retro. Retro. Retro." Bruce repeats it over and over, a smile coming onto his face. "Have you ever been to a 90's party, out of costume, Dick? Don't answer that, just. It's been a long time since I took a night off. Let's."

Dick snorts. "We're going to have to come up with a name I can go by, Officer Grayson doesn't exist yet"

"You don't need a name. You're Dick, and I am Bruce Wayne."

"If we're going clubbing or something, I'm going to need ID's, mine are from the future"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm saying. You don't need an ID when with the richest man in Gotham."

Dick sighed. "Alright, alright. Am I going in this?"

"No, Alfred will have something." There is a hint of a smirk on Bruce's face. "Appropriate for you to wear."

Dick smiles widely. "Okay"

Bruce nods. "Maybe 1996 can be sort of a, vacation for you. I know crime never does, but." He shrugs. "This isn't your fight."

Dick nods. "Maybe. I'll still help out when I can, if you'll let me"

"You'll need something to wear." Bruce bites his lip. "What's the most ridiculous vigilante idea you've ever had?"

Dick looks up at him. "Define ridiculous"

"Laughable. If it involves a skirt, even better."

"Well, my first Nightwing costume was bright electric blue with golden feathers lining the collar. I thought it looked good"

"Something more ridiculous. Embrace the nineties, Dick."

"I was gonna add fishnets to it, but Roy said no"

"Add fishnets, more leather, and more feathers, and it will make everyone's day."

Dick smiles. "I can draw what I ended up with, plus what I planned to work with. I was really inspired by the 80's, honestly"

"Well, draw it up, I'm sure Alfred would be happy to help make it."

Dick picks up the pad, and notices the Robin sketch. "Huh, this looks like Timmy's first take on the suit"

Bruce blinks. "Oh, I almost forgot about that. So one of you actually went with pants?"

"Tim and Damian wore pants, Steph went with a skirt"

"And Jason kept the," Bruce grimaces. "Panties?"

"He said you insisted, so that people didn't realize there had been more than on Robin"

"Oh. In retrospect, that both makes sense and." He groans and puts his face in his hands.

Dick bit his lip.

"The panties put me in an awkward position."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

Dick nodded, looking down.

"Talk to me about something."

Dick thought a moment. "uh..."


	5. Chapter 5

Damian had gotten into the batcave as Jason led a half-naked, teenage, Dick Grayson up and out. And he had, of course, taken about one minute to stare at young Grayson's- he wants to call this one Dick, to separate them in his mind- ass. Then he goes to Tim, perching on the Batcomputer to talk to him. "What happened Drake?"

"To what are you referring, Demonspawn?"

"You know damn well what I'm referring to, Drake."

"To Dick? I really don't know, I wasn't there. Or did you forget I'm grounded until I can move under my own power?"

"I figured you knew everything, Drake. Don't be flattered."

Tim snorts. "I just might, to spite you."

Damian narrowed his eyes before tugging the domino off. "He's attractive."

Tim smiles. "I have pictures of him, I've had them since before you were born. All you have to do is ask"

"Ask like I ask you to not spoil Game of Thrones?"

"Ask like, 'Tim, I'd like to know if Dick has always had a fine ass, would you be willing to teach my poor uncultured self' and you shall receive"

"That's completely unrealistic of you to expect, I'd never call you by your first name when asking things of you."

"Then you will not get the pictures, video or audio files. Pity."

"Fine. Timothy Drake, please allow me access to your files on Grayson and his posterior."

Tim holds up a flashdrive. "The cameras are in my room. All reels of film are labeled by year and subject matter, password for the safe is 10-24-80."

Damian pulls his phone out and makes note of this information. "Thank you, Drake."

Tim nods. "If you handle the film, use gloves. Preferably latex."

Damian nodded. "I will. If I help you upstairs, will you teach me how to romance Grayson?"

Tim glances up. "You could talk to Babs. Or Kori. Roy, Wally, Jean-Paul..."

"But they are not you."

"They've dated and most have successfully had sex with him. Kori even had his kid. Has his kid? Or something. Mar'i is from an alternate future that probably would've happened if Kori hadn't had to break his heart"

"I understand, but I am uncomfortable talking to them."

Tim smiles. "I'm sad to disappoint, but I am literally the only male in the family, not counting Alfred, who isn't after Richard Grayson. I just find him aesthetically pleasing"

"I understand, and that is why I am comfortable talking about this with you." Damian rolls his eyes. "And you must know something about courting Grayson, even if you do not want him romantically."

"He's not used to being called pretty, and is easily flustered when people tell him he is. Flattery will get you some of the way, but do not make any promises you cannot keep. There's a reason he and Kori aren't married, and it isn't because he didn't propose"

"What kind of promises can I not keep?"

"If you promise to be there even though you know you could leave him for extrenuating circumstances, don't make the promise."

"No shit, Drake. I haven't even been born yet in his time."

"Well, in all likelihood he will probably remember his time in this timeline, so your courtship will either succeed or is the reason he is so awkward around you"

"Or both, possibly?"

"There is a slim possibility of both. Slim."

Damian hummed. "So, keep my promises realistic and flattery?"

Tim hums. "Make your intentions clear. He's as dense as lead."

"Got it, Drake. I will tell him exactly what I mean."

"Aaaand that is all the advice I can give, but if you need extra help, Babs' cell is speed-dial 2 on Dick's phone. It's on the desk over there" He nods to the left.

"He actually leaves it here while on patrol?"

Tim nods. "He says he has the earpiece, and everyone pays attention to Batman, so why not."

"They pay attention because the title demands respect." Damian says, smiling at the thought that one day, he will seize the title, and the cowl.

Tim knows that look. "There are only two possible futures where you get the cowl, and those are either Dick getting horribly injured/disfigured or him dying. Are you planning on that?"

"Or him becoming Nightwing again, to let me take his place."

"He won't do that, he has put too much effort into Batman. Nightwing is his self-confidence and freedom, he let that go to be the Bat."

"I don't understand. If Nightwing makes him happy, why would he give it up?"

"Because... his feelings are secondary. To what Gotham, or Bruce, or... whatever else he's doing this for. At least to him. Looking at the teenage him just really throws how sad he's gotten into my face."

"Grayson deserves to be happy."

"And there is not a person in this house that disagrees with you. Except Dick."

"How do we make Grayson believe he's fine?"

"...I don't know." Tim lets his head thunk onto the table. "He's thrity-four in three weeks. How do you convince a man he's worth... anything?"

"No damn clue." Damian sighs, running a hand through his hair.

Tim grunts. He frowns. "Where do you think adult him is?"

"Where young him is not."

"...Oh shit."

Damian blinked. "I thought it was obvious. He obviously remembered this."

"No, Damian. He's alone. In the past. With Bruce. Alone. With Bruce."

"So he is safe with my father."

"Damian. Bruce and Dick had the worst UST in the history of ever."

"UST? So it was passed from father to me?"

"Damian. Dick is alone with your father before he died at a time where both of them are above the age of 18. Your feelings for Dick are your own, but I am legitimately worried about how stable Dick will be when he gets back"

Damian frowned and looked down. "Oh."

Tim puts his face in his hands. "Oh, god. This is what he meant. Oh, fuck."

"What do you mean, this is what he meant?"

"Right before the explosion I heard him say 'This is that time'. He remembers it. He knew about it. Fuck."

"Oh I knew about that, I thought some new information had come about. New to me."

Tim puts his face in his hands. "He's going to come back worse. Damian, we're having how sad he was thrown in our faces and he's going to come back _worse_."

"How do we help him?"

"Fuck if I know."

Damian bites his lip. "Maybe, maybe we help him through getting rid of the issue. And, being clear, the issue is my father, correct?"

"...Yeah. Bruce was in no way a good father. Mentor. Whatever. He was horrible. Sometimes I think Dick might not be all there, because of it"

"So we remove the influence. All of this is father's, we need to make it." He frowns. "Yours? Jason's? Mine? Ours?"

"Never work. We need these things to do what we do, and the biggest pull is the Batsuit. It's the biggest influence. Three guesses on who has it, and the first two don't count"

Damian groans. "Maybe move memory lane? To somewhere less," he glances around him. "Cluttered?"

Tim grunts. "We'll have to do it so teen him doesn't notice or see, otherwise the whole point is moot."

"Is it possible to keep him out of the cave?"

Tim glances up at Damian. "Keep him distracted? Maybe you and Jason should go from courting to physical. He's a hormone-riddled teenager."

Damian blushes and looks at his hands. "Physical? So soon?"

Tim smiles. "You won't know how far he's willing to go until you make it clear to him you want to try"

"Drake," Damian starts, then shakes his head. "I. Fine."

Tim smiles a little softer. "We don't have to do it right away, I have a feeling we'll be stuck with him for  a while. Take your time to convey the message when you feel comfortable, and get that message to Jay"

"Thank you, I." he played with the clasp of his belt. "Expected more time. Grayson is much older, and. I know he would not even have attempted to act on any feelings until I was legal, I thought I had that much time."

Tim snorts softly. "I didn't say go into his room and fuck him. Go up to him and ask if it's alright to court him, if you can kiss him. You've got time."

"Drake- Tim. Thank you." Damian catches his eyes, green meeting blue.

Tim nods. "Anytime, kid. Anytime"

Damian nods.

Tim hums. "So is the offer to take me upstairs still open, or are we good?"

Damian smirked. "Of course, I've been wondering if I could carry you for a good three years. Granted, the first two it was about dead weight, so be grateful I no longer wish it, Drake."

Tim swivels in the chair, so he's finally facing Damian. "You really know how to make a girl swoon." He says in a deadpan, raising his arms impatiently.

Damian stands and turns, crouching slightly so Tim can have better access.

Tim wraps his arms around Damian's neck. "I've been told I weigh less than most expect" He notes.

Damian tucks his hands under Tim's knees, and grunts.

Tim bites his lip. "Would calling Alfred help, or are you too stubborn to ask for it?"

Damian doesn't answer, just starts for the stairs.

Tim sighs. "Of course. If we collapse I blame you"

"If we collapse, it's Todd's fault."

"Why? Because he took Dick up to his room for clothes?"

"Because he is tall and has red hair. "

"Then he is winning in the whole Seduce-Dick thing you two have going on. But also beside the point"

Damian grumbles as they reach the steps. "There is a pullout couch down here, how opposed are we to sleeping in the cave?"

"I am perfectly happy with that idea, but you really ought to sleep on a bed. You're a growing boy and all that"

"Pullout couches are fine, I slept on mats on the floor most of my life. I usually do that anyways."

"That cannot be good for your back. You're going to grow up with a permanent crick in it, Little D."

"Feather clouds are not meant for sleeping on."

"They were literally designed with sleeping on them as the goal"

"Do you want me to drop you, Drake?"

"Alfred would chew you out for that, big time"

"Then do not argue with me on my sleeping habits, he-who-never-sleeps."

"I have all but been diagnosed with insomnia, spawn-of-demon."

Damian turns and walks back to the pullout couch.

"Also if my hints weren't obvious I was trying to get you to sleep in your own room because I don't want to share the couch"

"I intend to sleep on the floor, possibly under the couch, Drake."

"Again, bad for your back. If I can't send you upstairs then you're sharing with me and are forced to endure my cuddles."

"If I could not handle snuggling I would not be friends with Collin or courting Grayson."

"Dick might be a human octopus but neither drools or snores in their sleep"

"Say no more, I'll hear nothing of these habits from anyone." Damian deposits Tim at an armchair next to the couch, and starts preparing it. Luckily, there are also walls and cabinets  that pull out of the ground to offer privacy and bedding.

Tim taps his chin, smiling. The snoring and drooling were lies, according to Bart he slept still and silent and the only way to tell he was alive still was his heartbeat.

Damian makes the bed a nest of blankets, a good seven of them fleece. He picks Tim up and carries him to the bed then, without making eye contact, removes his suit.

Tim pulls his shirt off, closing his eyes and waiting for Damian to be done stripping.

Damian takes Tim's shirt, and gestures to the cabinets. "No, no extra clothing."

Tim blinks. "mm?"

"The cabinets only contained blankets and pillows. No clothing."

"And?"

"I am explaining myself."

"And I don't plan on wearing that shirt to sleep in. You can wear it and Alfred will bring us something in the morning."

Damian nodded and crawled into the nest next to Tim.

Tim shifts so he's leaning back on the bed, broken leg stretched out but everything else tucked into a ball.

Damian tended to sleep wrapped around himself, legs near his chest and arms around them, but he also liked having blankets on him, around him, under him, and above him. He pulled the edges of the nest close, and got a bit closer to the center, a bit closer to Tim.

Tim was already asleep, breathing evened and slowed down until it would take super-hearing to detect.

Damian closed his eyes, and let himself calm down, let himself fall asleep.

Tim does not shift in his sleep, whatsoever. It's a miracle his muscles don't lock at night, really.


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce had spent the rest of the day talking to Dick and even getting some work done, but then he went to his room around nine o'clock, and started going through his walk-in closet for something to wear.

Dick had doodles about what he wanted, and he knew Alfred would pick the perfect colors, so he waited after giving Alfie the request. Two hours later he was dressed in (what he thought) the best fashion decision he'd made since the suit everyone who'd known him at the time called Disco-wing. He liked that suit, thank you. All that was missing now was sparkles.

Bruce ended up choosing a leather jacket, a white crop top, a pair of tight pants that had been given to him by Selina and had multiple tears from her claws, and a pair of simple shoes that he could run in, if needed. He also grabs his wallet, stowing it in the pocket of the jacket. Then Bruce goes to Dick's room, knocking on the door.

Dick is tying the laces of the white trainers he has on, and smiles at the door. "Almost ready, one sec."

Bruce sighs and leans against the hallway's wall, fiddling with and eventually putting on a necklace, a set of dog tags from an old friend.

Once Dick is satisfied with his shoelaces, he opens the door. "Hi!" He grins.

Bruce smiles back, nodding. "Ready?"

Dick's grin widens. "Ready! Oh, uh. Try not to let me have too much alcohol, I'm not very fun drunk."

Bruce nodded. "I wasn't planning on drinking more than soda, or one shot, anyways."

Dick nods. "Well for some reason people really like giving me drinks, so. If I've had more than four, confiscate them from me."

"If I have more than twelve, confiscate them from me. I'm no lightweight, but I'm only mortal."

Dick nods. "I know" He smiles. "I'm not a light weight, my record is like, 40 something, but I just get really... not-fun when I'm anything more than tipsy."

Bruce nods, and turns. "Plus, there's been quite a history of..." Bruce lets out a chuckle, though it's far from fond. "People like putting things in the drinks they buy me."

Dick nods. "That gets worse, over the years. Date-rape's at an all-time high just before NML. It sorta dies down afterwards, though. Not many people are quite as willing to drug each other anymore." Dick scratches the back of his neck. "Well! Time to go?"

Bruce nods. "Of course, come with me."

Dick grins, skipping along. He's started whistling to himself, it's almost easy to believe he's the happiest, most well-adjusted superhero in the community.

Bruce leads the way, down the stairs and to the garage where he keeps all of the cars, bikes, and the pair of sleek limousines. Alfred is waiting besides a sleek black convertible, and Bruce grins at him. "Thank you Alfred, let's go to..." He hums. "That industrial club, with the tire booths. I think it was called Axle?"

Dick blinks. "I remember that place! Oh, the owner and his daughter moved to New York, though."

Bruce glances at Dick. "So I'll assume going tonight does not cause the building to explode."

"No, it takes another decade or so before that happens"

Bruce snorts and hops in the passenger side of the convertible. "Okay, great." He grins as Alfred gets into the driver's seat.

Dick sits in the back, fiddling with the fishnets on his arms.

Bruce nods to Alfred, and they pull out of the garage.

Dick sticks his tongue out, watching the scenery go by.

"Alfred, pick us up around two AM, unless I call you sooner, please." Alfred nods in agreement.

Dick smiles widely. Which is when he suddenly gets a bad feeling in his gut and that smile falters.

The ride is mostly silent, and when they reach the club it's ten. Bruce steps out first, and he hears some girls scream, and sees a lot of people turn and stare. Used to the attention, Bruce smirks and passes the line, Dick close behind.

Dick is completely unfazed by the screaming girls, and he hears more than one 'Ooh, that guy with mister Wayne is way hotter than his last date' and variations thereof.

The bouncer lets Bruce in after a hug, and almost stops Dick, but Bruce puts a hand on the inside of his wrist, looking up at him. "He's mine." His touch lingers, but then he smiles and steps inside.

Dick smiles at the bouncer, the picture of innocence. He hears a few squeals from the peanut gallery.

Bruce reaches back, and takes Dick's wrist in his hand. "C'mon."

Dick laughs, but he lets Bruce lead him. He doesn't know when or how but he's got a glass of something bubbly in his hand now.

Bruce accepts a glass of something dark from a woman covered in feathers, and turns to look at Dick for a moment as he introduces him.

Dick sniffs the drink, and can't smell anything in it, so he sips it. Upon being introduced to the woman, he can't help a smiles. "Nice to meet you, Ma'am"

She presses a kiss to Bruce's cheek, then turns to walk away. Bruce loses sight of her within a few seconds. "Dance, or drink?"

Dick has finished the first drink, and was about to answer when another is pressed into his hand. This one is some sort of coke and beer concoction.

Bruce finishes the one the woman gave him, and blinks in confusion. "Wow, that was strong." he mumbles, glancing down at it. Then a man comes up and presses a hand to his stomach, and a bottle of beer to his hand, then leaves. "I am suddenly reminded of why I rarely do this."

Dick giggles, and as he sips a woman in her early twenties presses against his back. The alcohol is starting to get to him, maybe he should sit down. Oh, did the lady give him champagne?

Bruce takes a swig of the beer, only for someone of ambiguous gender to grab him by his belt loop, and physically drag him away from Dick. He almost protests, but then a pair of painted lips are pressed to his.

Dick finds himself dragged to the bar, and then a girl, probably a girl, asks him why he's here, and how he knows Bruce. He giggles, and evades the question.

Bruce finds people grinding against him, him grinding against others, and different lips and drinks pressed to his own. At some point, someone pulls on the dog tags, and they go across his neck for a second, pinching the skin. At another point, a mouth sucks a patch on his neck. After who knows how much time, Bruce escapes the dance floor to lean against the bar and pant for breath, because _damn_ he forgot how bad things got in the center. He orders a water, just to try and calm down.

Dick is sitting a few feet to his left, sobbing on the counter. "...'nd then she got, got par'lyzed an' wouldn't lemme take care of her, and then Kori was there, but she had to leave for princess duties, and we have a kid from a future that didn't happen an'..."

Bruce looked over at Dick, and then he looked away. He wants to say something, but he's too keyed up for that.

The bartender pats his shoulder. "So you proposed to different women, and they both said no, for different reasons? That's rough, man."

Bruce's eyebrows went up, because that made _so_ much more sense.

Dick sniffles. "And after that my best friends both have kids, but one of them loses their daughter, and he regressed back into heroin, and I haven't heard from him but my brother might be with him and Kori, and..." He wipes his face. The bartender hands him another drink.

Bruce shuffles over to him, and pats his shoulder.

Dick sobs a little. "And then Barry, and Bart die, and Wally goes missing, and Tim's dad and his step mom are murdered, and..." He takes a big gulp of the drink.

Bruce wants to say something, wants to comfort him, but he doesn't know many of these people. Barry, yes, Wally, sort of? But. A hand winds itself into his hair and drags him away.

Another drink is handed to him, and he just chugs it. It's after Dick starts to feel a different fuzzy than alcohol-fuzzy that he pauses. "W-was something put in this...?"

Bruce's head is turned when he isn't immediately next to Dick, and there's a woman with blonde curls, freckles, and violently red lips there. She holds out a hand with a heap of yellow powder, and blows it in his face. He gasps in surprise, and blinks, but that only ends up getting it inside his system. He stumbles back, vision swimming for a few seconds before he hits the bar, and Dick, and he is brought back to reality. Reality being the bar, the pounding music, the drink sitting on the bar, ready to take, and Dick.

Dick is feeling the effects of at least ten drinks (probably closer to twenty if he's honest) and whatever was in that last one, and then Bruce is there and... He takes another swig of the drink he's holding.

Bruce grabs Dick's face, and he blinks a lot, trying to get his eyes to focus on something. He can't decide between Dick's eyes and his mouth.

Dick blinks his eyes a few times, everything is getting fuzzy. Bruce is touching him, and. Wow he forgot how good Bruce looks, fuck.

Bruce leans forwards, pressing their lips together. There's cheering, probably, but he doesn't pay attention to anything but _Dick_.

Dick's hands tangle in Bruce's hair, and his eyes close. This is really nice, actually.

Bruce moans into the kiss, but then there's a hand on his stomach, pulling him back from Dick.

When Bruce pulls away, he sways a little. "Ohhhh, fuck..." He presses a hand to his temple.

The person kisses Bruce's cheek, but he pushes them away and goes to Dick for another kiss.

Dick's head is spinning, and as Bruce comes forward his eyes roll back and he passes out.

Bruce doesn't notice for a second, but then he catches him and gets the bartender to help them outside. He presses speed dial one, and asks Alfred to come get them, something's wrong?

Dick groans.

Alfred's there in minutes, and Bruce drops Dick in the backseat before stumbling into the front, closing his eyes because his head is pounding and _he's not warm enough_ and _he's not touching anyone_.

Dick wakes up after a few seconds, but he can't concentrate on anything and everything is swimming.

By the time they get to the manor, Bruce is curled in on himself and holding the dog tags too tightly, and he needs- needs to touch someone. Contact.

Dick groans, and he reaches out for Bruce because he's scared. He needs reassurance. Please.

Bruce reaches back, and when he touches Dick, he sighs in relief, and he needs _more_.

Dick grabs his hand, and presses his face to Bruce's fingers.

Alfred says something to Bruce, but he doesn't listen, can't hear, just needs more skin-on-skin contact.

Dick's fingers play with Bruce's sleeve, and kisses Bruce's palm. 

Bruce climbs over the seat, pressing kisses to Dick's collarbone. 

Dick gasps, and his fingers tangle in Bruce's hair.

Bruce groans, and he mumbles "Bed, need a bed"

"Bruce...!" He clings a little harder, legs wrapping around Bruce's waist,

Bruce struggles to stand, and then he trips out of the car, landing on his shoulder. He's dazed for a second, then he gets up and grabs Dick's hand.

Dick stumbles, catching himself after a few seconds.

Bruce pulls him through the house, until they're in his room, and he shrugs his jacket off and kisses Dick hard and, and he's just an inch or two shorter, he hopes that changes.

Dick clings again, moaning into the kiss.

Bruce wraps his arms around Dick's shoulders, and he groans.

Dick hooks a leg on Bruce's hip, panting.

Bruce stumbles towards the bed, but waits for a second, not sure if he wants to be on the top or bottom.

Dick pulls back to breathe, flushed. "Br-Bruce...!"

Bruce takes a deep breath. "Dick,"

Dick looks at him, taken a bit off guard at being taller. That feels so wrong. "Bruce?"

"Dick."

"Bruce?"

Bruce closes his eyes and leans into Dick. "Dick."

Dick sways a little, trying to stay upright. "B-bruce?"

"You top, or me?"

"A-ah, uh..." he bit his lip.

Bruce pressed a kiss to the corner of Dick's mouth, then pulls them both down onto the bed.

Dick gasped, and landed on top of Bruce. He bit his lip, panting a little.

Bruce smiled, breath coming quick, and leaned up to recapture Dick's lips.

Dick gasps, tangling his fingers in Bruce's hair.

Bruce groans, and wraps his legs around Dick's hips, back arching up into him. He knows that, to Dick, he's supposed to be older, and stronger, but he doesn't feel older, he just has a headache blurring all of his thoughts into one word "Dick"

Dick can't concentrate on anything but the feel of Bruce under him, and all he wants is Bruce. Everything is fuzzy and he almost feels like he could pass out at any second.

Bruce rolls his hips up, because he needs more contact, he needs this, he _needs_ Dick.

Dick moans, bucking his hips. "B-Bruce...!"

"Dick," Bruce rolls his hips again, then groans. He needs the pants off. "Dick, please"

Dick pulls one hand free, and undoes the front. "A-ah.."

"More, fuck, Dick"

Dick tugs them down, puling back to kiss at Bruce's hip. He tugs his own pants down as well.

Bruce gasps, looking down and watching Dick.

Dick licks along the shaft. He's been told he gives very good blowjob.

Bruce brings his hand up and bites it to try and keep back the noise, because _fuck_.

Dick takes the length into his mouth, swallowing around him a little.

Bruce wants to say something, but he just groans and rolls his hips instead.

Dick moans, pulling back and dragging his teeth along him.

Bruce grabs Dick, and pulls him in for another kiss.

Dick gasps, panting a little.

Bruce bites his lip, and reaches down, grabbing Dick's hips.

Dick blinks a few times, his vision is starting to blur. "B-Bruce..."

Bruce pushes Dick's pants down farther, and he wraps a hand around them both, because he _needs this fuck_.

Dick moans, clinging to Bruce.

"Dick," Bruce moans, hand working faster and his toes curling.

Dick's hips buck, and he moans loudly. "Bruce! D-dracu, Doamne "

Bruce bites Dick's neck as he comes, back arching up into him.

Dick comes, whimpering. "Oh, Doamne."

Bruce takes his hand out from between them and just clings to Dick.

Dick's world starts to go black, and he groans a little. "Oh, la revedere."

Bruce closes his eyes, and pulls his shirt off, needing more contact.

Dick passes out with a little whimper.

Bruce closes his eyes, feeling the effects of... Everything, and starts to drift.

Dick snuggles up to him, mumbling.

Bruce falls asleep fully, surrounded by warmth and skin.

Dick wakes up the next morning with a very impressive headache.

Bruce wakes up, still needing contact and warmth, but still sleepy and snuggly.

Dick feels the warm chest and strong arms and thinks 'Jason', and cuddles closer.

Bruce smiles, and hums, squeezing Dick.

"Morning..." He looks up, expecting red hair and a white streak. Which is when he registers that it's Bruce's face and... fuck, what the hell happened last night.

Bruce opens his eyes, slowly, and hums happily. "Dick?"

Dick groans, and one hand goes to cup his forehead. "...What... happened, last night?"

"Uh." Bruce thinks for a long time. "We went to Axle, in the dance floor stuff happened, you were crying, a blonde blew yellow powder in my face, then." Bruce blushes.

Dick bites his lip. "I think I got drugged. Twice?"

"Twice?"

"Well one of the drinks tasted funny but that might've just bee how it was mixed. The last one was definitely drugged though" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Bruce pats his shoulder.

"I remember kissing, and then we were in the car with Alfred. Did anything happen after that?"

"Uh." Bruce bit his lip. "I remember something about losing my pants. Maybe?"

Dick glances down. "Oh, yeah. That happened."

Bruce grimaces. "We'll have to take a shower."

Dick glances up at him. "O-okay."

"Together? Or?" Bruce looks hopeful, because he still needs the contact.

"D-did you want to do it together?"

"I think I am still affected by the powder."

"Okay." Dick gets up, and pulls his jacket off.

Bruce sits up, and realizes he's only wearing the pants, halfway down his thighs. With that, and the messy hair, and the dried cum on his stomach... "Hal showed me porn like this once." He sighs heavily.

Dick chokes. "He's shown me at least three like it"

"There's a reason he laughs when I remove the cowl. My hair, it looks like this when I do."

Dick nods. "Mine does too, sometimes. He and Kyle make the worst jokes, Guy too. Doesn't help the reputation, apparently"

"Guy who?"

"Oh, he and Kyle aren't Lanterns yet... Guy Gardener"

"Okay."

Dick smiles a little sheepishly.

Bruce stands, and shimmies the pants down. "Do pants get looser?"

"Well, skinny jeans get popular, but so does sagging"

"Uh." Bruce frowns. "Okay."

Dick shrugs a little. "Fashion is weird."

"Extremely. Does the suit ever change?"

"Azreal added flamethrowers and also flaming swords. And magic armor."

"No thank you."

"You're the one who appointed him the position."

Bruce grimaces.

Dick stuck his tongue out a little, and pulled the shirt and fishnets off.

Bruce smiled. "Nice."

"I like fishnets, I envy Dinah for getting to wear them"

"You can wear them too. Your rogues would not be intimidated, but you could."

"I'm wearing your suit. The batsuit would look so wrong with fishnets."

"I tried it once, looked great."

"Well, this is the nineties. Plus, most of the rogues have gotten more dangerous. Bane broke your back, and one guy even made a recreational drug out of Joker's laughing gas."

Bruce blinked, then frowned deeply.

"He chose to take life in prison rather than plead insanity. Felt it was safer in BlackGate than in Arkham."

"Well, he's not wrong."

Dick opens his hands. "Plus, Joker vowed revenge if they ever met face-to-face"

"Did he get it?"

"Well, there are only two ways he'll get into BlackGate, and he hasn't tried either yet. Mostly he's been preoccupied bitching at me"

"About?"

"The reason he likes fighting you is that he wants to get you to smile and laugh and its a challenge. I've been laughing the entire time. He takes personal offense to that."

Bruce smiles. "Good."

"He spends a lot of time in Arkham, since he doesn't really have a lot of reasons to want out. Riddler and Scarecrow have been teaming up, which is weird."

Bruce shrugged. "I can see that. The riddles, plus the confusion, must be interesting."

"I think they might be actually like, together. At least Eddie thinks so. He gets pissy when Jon ignores him."

Bruce smiles. "Can I put the ideas in their heads?"

"Tell Eddie Jon knows the perfect riddle, but he only tells close friends. Eddie does the rest himself."

Bruce nods. "Understood."

Dick grins. "After a while they just get an apartment and spend the days pissing each other off"

Bruce laughs. "I can't wait."

Dick smiles.

"Any other unlikely pairings?"

"Harvey actually gets better, after Hush does some things. I think he settles down with Vicki"

"Aww."

"They're actually pretty cute, once you get past how ugly her personality is"

Bruce nodded. "Alright, if you say so."

Dick tugs off the leg warmers and wrist band.

Bruce starts for the bathroom, running a hand down his chest.

Dick grimaces, pulling the fishnet tights off and following him.

Bruce gets into the bathroom and turns the water on, waiting with one hand on his stomach and the other hanging limply to his left.

Dick steps into the bathroom, biting his lip.

Bruce glances at him, then offers him his hand.

Dick took it, smiling a little.

Bruce squeezed his hand when the spray was ready, and stepped inside, closing his eyes and moaning just the slightest bit at the heat.

Dick gasped, stepping in after him.

"Use whatever soaps." Bruce says, running a hand over his body.

Dick bit his lip, and grabbed the one he recognized, something found in every bathroom.

Bruce started on his hair, closing his eyes as he does.

Dick hangs back, not sure what he's supposed to be doing. The obvious thing would be to get wet and use the soap he's holding. But that would require moving past Bruce, which... yeah, uh. That's the problem.

Bruce taps something in front of him, and a second showerhead activates behind Dick, cold at first, then quickly heating up.

Dick yelps.

Bruce smiles.

Dick ends up dropping the soap and nearly slipping on it. The string of startled curses he lets out are a mix of Romani and English.

"Weren't you warned not to drop the soap?" Bruce jokes.

"Asta-i în închisoare, Geniul," Dick snaps.

Bruce rolled his eyes and patted Dick's ass. "I haven't learnt Romani yet."

Dick coughed. "You should." He shifts. "That can be the first one you learn" Dick is completely unfazed by the butt touch, and picks up the soap with a huff.

Bruce rolls his eyes again. "Fine. Start me off with the basics."

"Da is yes, Nu is no. La dracu is fuck, and Doamne is gosh. Those are words I use a lot."

"Da. Nu. La dracu. Doamne." Bruce says, testing how they roll on his tongue.

"Doamne can be used for 'oh god' as well, with the right context" Dick adds helpfully. "I called you a genius earlier. Geniul"

"Geniui." Bruce hums. "I like the sound of that."

"GenuiL" He emphasizes the end of the word, smiling a little.

Bruce blinks. "My bad."

Dick shakes his head. "S'fine"

"What languages did I end up leaning?"

"More than I know. You got bored after a while. I think you had nearly 20 or so languages, or something. You probably kept records, but Tim's the one who uses the batcomputer the most."

"Atleast someone does."

"Tim loves that thing. He was on it during the riot, since Clayface broke his leg the week before."

Bruce takes a moment to remember which riot Dick's talking about, then nods.

Dick uses the soap, humming to himself.

Bruce turns to kiss Dick's shoulders.

Dick gasps, looking back at him in surprise. 

"What?"

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Kissing your shoulder."

"Why...?"

"Do I have to have a reason?"

"Uhm... I guess not, I just..." Dick blushes a little more, looking away.

Bruce kisses his shoulder again.

"A-ah..." Dick's shoulders are mildly sensitive, his neck is more so. He's really not sure what he's supposed to be doing right now and Bruce's mouth is really distracting.

Bruce sucks a patch of skin, maybe hoping to make a bruise.

"A-ahh, nngh" Dick's hand comes up to muffle the noise, and his other hand braces against the wall.

Bruce out a hand on Dick's hip, turning him and pressing him against the cool tile to press a kiss to his lips.

Dick gasped, hands falling to Bruce's shoulders.

"Are we close, later?" Bruce mumbles.

"N-not really" Dick looks away, biting his lip. "I spent over a decade being a dick, and when I finally calmed down enough you were..."

Bruce kissed Dick's jaw. "Oh."

Dick bit his lip.

"Just have to remember this, then." He looks up at Dick, then sneaks another kiss in.

Dick gasps, blushing a little.

Bruce pulls back, and looks at Dick, all of him. "You get a lot of scars. Do I?"

Dick nods a little. "We're only human"

"Surprisingly." Bruce runs his fingers down Dick's torso. "Vicki Vale. She doesn't last. She never was enough. Selina is too much. That leaves," Bruce stops just before Dick's crotch. "Who?"

"You were with Diana for a few years, and every three Clark would come over, for. For something."

Bruce hums. "And you? I know we weren't close, but." His fingers go back up. "We don't have to be.

"I never got the chance to, to ask..."

"Does this, does this help?"

Dick bit his lip, nodding.

Bruce nodded. "I'm glad."

Dick smiled a little hopefully.

Bruce looked down at himself, then at Dick again.

Dick gasps a little, glancing down as well.

"Hm?"

"A-ah..." Dick was already hard. His blush darkened a little.

"Do you want me to...?"

Dick bit his lip again, nodding.

Bruce reaches forwards, stroking it slowly. He watches his hand for a moment, then looks back up at Dick.

Dick's eyes fluttered closed, and he moaned softly, head tilting back.

Bruce's own member, perks up, and he bites his lip.

"A-ah, Bruce..."

"Dick," he mumbles, stepping forwards to press himself against Dick's hip.

Dick gasps, hips bucking a little. One hand presses back against the wall, to keep him upright.

"Dick," Bruce gasps, and he pulls back.

"B-Bruce?"

He starts to say something, then shakes his head, hand returning to his task.

"A-ah, Nngh" Dick moans, flush darkening.

Bruce uses his left hand on himself, closing his eyes as he does.

"Br-Bruce!" Dick bites his lip, it's a miracle it hasn't started bleeding yet. His free hand urges Bruce a little closer.

Bruce leans his head on Dick's shoulder, moaning.

Dick's hips buck again, and his mouth finds it's way to Bruce's shoulder.

Bruce winces, but he has to bite back a growl as his body tenses- he's close.

Dick kisses at Bruce's shoulder, soft presses of lips and tongue. He's never really been rough, though he likes it when other are to him. He whimpers, and comes a few seconds later.

Bruce's back arches as he climaxes, then he leans on Dick.

Dick's arm finds its way to

Bruce's back, still kissing at Bruce's shoulder.

"Dick."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"A-anytime, B"

Bruce kisses any part of Dick he can reach, then he closes his eyes. "We need to eat."

Dick groans softly. "Y-yeah...."

"What, though? We could go somewhere."

"O-okay. Where would you like to go?"

"It doesn't matter to me. What do you want?"

"I-I'm not very hungry. I don't remember any of the restaurants, either..."

"Don't give specifics, what type of food?" he pauses. "Did you eat yesterday?"

Dick blinked, and thought a moment. He shrugged.

"We're going to go out. Chinese sound fine?"

Dick nods.

"Then we'll dress, and go." He ignores an urge to hug Dick, instead pulling away and going for the shower controls, turning them off.

Dick nods, glancing down.

"Are you alright?"

Dick looks up. "I'm fine."

"Why do you keep looking down?"

Dick shrugs a little. "Don't know where to look..."

"Anywhere but down, please?"

"O-okay." Dick looks to the side, then. His bottom lip is probably swollen at this point.

Bruce grabs a pair of towels, offering one to Dick.

Dick takes it, drying himself off thoroughly.

When Bruce finishes, he goes back into his room to hunt for suitable clothing.

Dick ties the towel around his waste, not sure if he should put his outfit back on.

"You can borrow something of mine. Pick anything you like."

Dick bit his lip. Oh, now it's bleeding. Joy. He moves toward the closet, and looks through it for a pair of slacks that will fit.

Bruce ends up deciding on a pair of jeans, and a button down.

Dick picks a pair of black slacks and a steel blue button up.

"Buffet or takeout?"

Dick shrugs. "Whatever you prefer."

"I'm asking you."

Dick frowns. "And I'm telling you I have no opinion."

Bruce stared at Dick a long time.

Dick crosses his arms defiantly.

"What happened to you? Your voice? Your stubbornness?"

Dick frowns, and looks d- away.

"Tell me."

Dick's frown deepened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't lie to me." Bruce's eyes narrow. "I have to fight you to back down from a decision, now you refuse to make them. What happened."

Dick shifted slightly. "...I..." He sighs. "It was easier just to..."

"Just to let others?" Bruce frowns. "Who started it? Be honest now."

Dick bit his lip again. His fingers curled a little tighter.

"Dick, please."

"...Who do you think?"

Bruce flinches.

Dick looks away, and holds himself a little tighter.

"Do... Do things get worse after this? For you?"

Dick doesn't answer, but how defensive his posture is, is answer enough.

Bruce's own posture shifts, his entire body slumping, almost as if in defeat.

Dick bows his head, holding himself a bit tighter. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't, don't apologize." Bruce almost snaps, but his voice ends up soft.

Dick flinches, and he bites his lip.

"I fucked up. I fucked you up. Did anything I do help you at all? I should have just given Haley's enough money to adopt you."

"I own Haley's now. You're... you're Bruce. That's all I need."

"But why? Why is that okay? I obviously hurt you, anyone else would have run and not looked back."

"You, and Timmy, and everyone, needed me."

Bruce sat on the bed. "You were always so selfless."

Dick shifted a little, not sure what to say to that.

"Where you are, in the future, are you happy?" Bruce says quietly.

Dick smiles a little. "I'm surrounded with people who care about me, and who I care about. How can I not be?"

Bruce glanced up at Dick, then sighed softly. "Alright. Can you try that line again, but with a real smile this time?"

Dick blinked. "That, that was a real smile." He frowned, mumbling. "...I think"

"It didn't reach your eyes, Dick. If you've gotten to the point where you can't tell fake and real smiles apart, then I have failed you and no amount of." He pauses. "Nothing I can do will help you. I have failed you as a parent, even though I never really was, and I have failed you as a mentor, and I have failed you as a friend, which I always wanted us to be."

Dick bit his lip. "I..." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"But you didn't do anything!" Bruce stands, tone rising.

Dick flinches, stepping back a little.

"Dick, Richard," Bruce starts, walking up to him.

Dick bit his lip, but held still.

Bruce put his hands on Dick's shoulders. "You did nothing wrong."

"B-but..." Dick looked down.

"What?"

"I was supposed to... be here. I wasn't, and you got..."

"You weren't supposed to be here. If you weren't here, then I wasn't expecting you. Tell me if I'm wrong, but if you weren't here, you were doing something important to you."

"I was running away from my problems."

"Was I the problem you were running away from?"

Dick bit his lip, refusing to make eye-contact. "A-at first..."

"Then there's nothing wrong with that, you are fine."

Dick shook his head. "I should've stayed. I shouldn't have just..."

"You are fine, Dick."

Dick didn't respond, just kept his head bowed,

"Do me a favor, don't blame yourself for this, or anything involving me."

Dick couldn't help his snort. "Bit late for that, isn't it?"

"I understand, but. From now on, don't blame yourself."

Dick sighed. "No promises." Dick knew how his brain worked. He could try, but he was getting old. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Bruce nodded and looked down, and to his left. "I understand."

"I would ask you not to start the cycle in the first place, but if that were possible I would remember it, wouldn't I?"

Bruce nodded. "It probably started the day I first yelled at you."

Dick bit his lip. In all honestly, he'd nearly gotten over it, but then... Timmy had come to him.

"I hate to say it, but I'm still hungry. Should we try to eat out, or?"

"Whatever you want"

Bruce rolled his eyes and stepped away. "I'm asking you because I don't know what I want."

Dick sighed. "Well I'm not even hungry, so I really don't have any way to help."

"You haven't eaten since before you came here, it's been," Bruce glances at a clock. "About two days. You have to be hungry."

Dick shrugged. "I just... Don't."

"When did you last eat, anyways? Be honest."

"Dinner before patrol."

Bruce nods. "You need to eat." He starts putting on a pair of shoes. "Okay?"

Dick nods a little. "Okay."

"Put on some shoes."

Dick glances around until he finds the white trainers he had on earlier, slipping them on and retying the laces.

"So, chinese. Yes?"

Dick hums, nodding.

Bruce nods and stands, starting for the door.

Dick follows, humming to himself a little.

"What song?"

Dick looked up, startled. "Ah, um..."

"Let it Go. It's in one of Disney's later musicals."

"You still watch Disney movies?" Bruce asks, a smile coming to his face.

Dick grins. "I love Disney movies, everything is just so... perfect..! Happy! And Dami never really got a childhood, so I'm trying to make up for it now. Even if he does complain during everything but Aristocats"

"Dami. Dami. Damian?" Bruce tries to remember why the name sounds familiar.

"Damian Al Ghul Wayne. He's 13, now"

"Ah. He enjoys the Aristocats?"

"Loves cats. Most animals, really, but he adores cats"

"Does he like Snow White?"

"He likes her. Well, he tolerates her. He's a bigger fan of Maid Marian and Duchess, plus he showed a lot more enthusiasm for Rapunzel"

"Rapunzel? Disney eventually does that?"

"Yeah, it's one of the later movies. They also do the Snow Queen, though there are some big changes to the story. Princess and the Frog, and if I remember correctly they tackle Hercules this year. Or next."

"Hercules? I thought Disney was family-oriented?"

"There are huuuuuuuge changes to the story, major uplifts to the characters, but they do it."

"Did Hera try to kill him?"

"She was sad he was kidnapped."

Bruce frowned intensely.

Dick shrugged. "I remember liking it. I treat it like a completely unrelated story, most of the time."

"Is that the only way to get through it?"

"...Yeah. Though they do make some good jokes, and the love interest is really great. Her and Hades spent a while snarking at eachother. The Oedipus joke flew right over my head the first time I watched it"

"There's an Oedipus joke?" Bruce snorts. "Can't wait."

"I know, right? And Phil the Satyr is great, plus they make the muses really interesting."

"Muses?" Bruce hums as they reach the stairs, and sits on the railing, casually sliding down with a straight look on his face.

Dick giggles, hopping off the side of the railing with a cackle. He rolls when he lands, still cackling.

Bruce takes a lot longer, and when he finishes, he stands and walks away, as if he hadn't just done that.

Dick muffles his laughter with his fingers, eyes dancing with mirth.

Bruce allows a smile at that.

Dick waves Alfred off, and his smile softens.

"Anything we need before we leave?"

Dick shrugs. "Not that I know of"

Bruce pats himself down, for his wallet, then curses. Alfred hands it to him, and he nods his gratitude. "Does Alfred ever change?"

"I swear he hasn't aged a day."

Bruce smiles. "I always knew he'd outlive me. Does he still take care of everyone?"

Dick nods. "He's the reason Timmy and I haven't worked ourselves to death, I think"

Bruce nods, and walks into the garage, closing his eyes and spinning for a second before stopping, finger pointing at a cherry red car. "So be it." He murmurs, then walks to it.

Dick chuckles a little. "It's weird to see this place so empty"

"Empty of people or-" His eyes widen. "Please tell me I don't buy more cars."

"Your default birthday and Christmas gift."

Bruce puts his head in his hands. "I can't."

Dick snickers, which turns to a full blown cackle at the sight of Bruce's distress.

"Don't I know what you want?"

"Well, I want to say you do, but by the time we start exchanging gifts again you have 5 adopted children..."

Bruce looks back up at Dick with the most horrified look on his face.

"Is that a reaction to having five children? Well, only four of them are adopted and one technically never was adopted, plus another was never shown the papers."

"I never thought I'd have more around than you, maybe one more."

Dick smiled. "Well, you get Jay, Tim and Cass, and then Steph wheedles her way in, and then Damian breaks in and tries to kill Tim. Twice."  
[  
Bruce nods. "Still, there's more than I expected to have around."

Dick shrugs. "Tim doesn't have much luck with brothers, Jay tried to kill him twice and Damian dropped him off the roof of the manor. But they're all getting along now, for the most part!" Dick smiles.

Bruce snorted and climbed into the car, running a hand through his hair.

Dick sits in the passenger seat, smiling.

"So, which sibling is your favorite?"

Dick paused. "I..." Dick put a hand to his chin. "I never really thought about it, picking favorites can be damaging."

"Oh." Bruce blinked.

Dick bit his lip. "I wasn't the best big brother, though. That much is certain."

"I'm sure you're fine, Dick." Bruce starts the car, and turns around to watch as he pulls the car out of its spot.

Dick sighs. He tries, but he could do better. Definitely.

Bruce winces as he pulls into the daylight, as he doesn't normally... Go outside in the day. Wake up, usually, but leave the house? Only half the time.

Dick smiles a little. "Gotham's much prettier, now. We're rebuilding. but most of it's still in ruins..."

"Does it look like a modern Pompeii?"

"Without the layers of ash and body imprints, kinda. A good portion of the upper-crust who left have returned, but the lower classes either were killed in the quake, the aftermath, or are still out. Can't say I blame them. Arkham had to be rebuilt a few times, too" He smiles a little. "The skies are much darker, thicker smoke"

Bruce nodded. "Is it harder, protecting Gotham?"

Dick thinks. "Well, the rogues hit harder, but we have..." He takes a moment to count on his fingers.

"Somewhere around 10 vigilantes working to clean it up, and for the most part we're all organized, plus I actually accept help when it's offered..."

Bruce nodded.

Dick smiles a little. "And I've gotten pretty good at leading teams, at least that's what Clark said, so..."

"I'm glad, I remember you had problems with others, since they didn't know the hand symbols."

Dick smiles a little. Then he remembers something, and he blushes.

"Hm?" Bruce glances at Dick.

Dick bit his lip, ears burning. "A tradition, or something, started. It's... embarrassing..."

"Tell me about it. Does it involve hands?"

"....No. Apparently you aren't living successfully unless you've uh..."

"Done what?"

"Kissed... me..."

Bruce snorted, then started laughing. "Have many kissed you?"

"A-all of the JLA, and most of the JSA, and...."

"Congratulations. Who started it?"

"I don't... know. It started after I took the Nightwing name.."

Bruce glanced over at Dick. "I could."

Dick's face burned a little brighter. "U-um..."

"I could start it without anyone else knowing. Just leave a note somewhere for Hal to find, or Ollie."

Dick put his face in his hand. "Ollie was very handsy..."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "You're telling me. He's awful when he's drunk."

"He and Hal double team me, a lot. They think it's funny when Batman blushes..."

"Ollie has always been like that. I knew him before the accident, with the island and his father. He liked..." Bruce whistles. "Everything."

Dick nods a little. "He got really angry, when Roy first left, but Mia and Connor have helped him calm down."

"Oliver? Angry? I can see that." Bruce pulls into a parking lot. "Ready?"

Dick nods, in equal answer to both.

Bruce got out, slipping a pair of sunglasses on. He locks the car, and crosses the parking lot to the restaurant, trusting that Dick is following.

Dick is, smiling to himself a little. He smiles at a few people they pass, and the appreciative murmur makes him glance away with a blush. It's different, when he's not really trying.

Bruce pushes his glasses up, into his hair, when they get inside. "Hello, table for two please." he flashes the hostess a warm smile, and she nods breathlessly.

Dick gives her a shy one, and he can see her and the other hostesses practically squealing.

The first- her nametag reads Kim, leads them to a table by a huge mirror with a gold dragon and fox frame. Bruce smiles again as he accepts a menu and orders a coke.

Dick asks for tea, smiling a little. She hands him a menu and practically bolts from the table. Dick glances over it, completely at a loss for what to order.

"Know what you want?"

Dick makes a noncommittal noise, shrugging.

"Neither do I."

Dick laughs a little. "Maybe ask our waitress what she recommends?"

Bruce nodded, as another waitress, Ana, comes over. Her hair is in a Mohawk, twisted into a french braid. Bruce compliments her hair before asking "What do you recommend?" She points out some things, a teriyaki rice bowl, egg drop soup, general Tso's, and something vegetarian.

Dick thought a moment before picking the rice bowl. Seems safe enough.

Bruce chooses the general Tso's, and the egg drop soup. Ana walks away, and Bruce turns to Dick again. "So."

"Mm?"

"Your temporary alias, what do you wish it to be?"

"When in doubt, Robert Malone is always open"

Bruce nodded. "And for patrol?"

"That one's tricky. Not sure if I should just use Nightwing, the costume wouldn't be hard to make, but..."

Bruce sipped his drink. "Do you remember drawing inspiration from a one-time vigilante in your youth?"

Dick thinks a moment. "One of the later costumes was taken from someone, though I didn't use the cowl he had..."

"Are cowls popular?"

"Tim uses one, and so do a few others. I wasn't very fond of the idea of having to restrain my hair, though"

Bruce nods sympathetically. "Cowl hair is the worst."

"I had a ponytail at the time, too. Can you imagine the pinching?" He winkles his nose.

Bruce grimaces. "You? Ponytail? You didn't."

Dick grinned. "It was a mullet for a while, but I pulled it back for a while." He rested his chin on his hand. "I pulled it off just fine, I'll have you know."

"Still."

Dick smiled. Their food arrived, and he smiled at the girl who brought it.

Ana smiles back, and Bruce taps the table three times before picking up his fork.

Dick picks up his fork as well, and takes a bite of the rice. There's teriyaki sauce drizzled over it, with vegetables and meats mixed in. Dick hums softly.

Bruce eats quietly, not sure exactly what to talk about. It's good.

Dick continues eating, smiling as he does. He doesn't know what to talk about, but if a topic comes he'll probably say something.

"Does Clark continue to get stronger?"

"Clark's powers have gotten stable. Conner's are still growing and changing, but he is only... uh, 4 or 5 years old. But also 17?"

Bruce opens his mouth to say something, then shakes his head. "No."

Dick tilts his head. "Huh?"

"I don't wanna know."

"Conner's a clone. So is Damian, technically"

"I. I don't want to know about clones."

Dick sighs. "Yeah... It gets confusing." He takes another bite of rice.

Bruce nods.

Dick hums, and thinks a moment. "You know, I always wondered. Where'd you get the giant penny?"

Bruce smiles at Dick. "You really want to know?"

Dick looked at him through his lashes. "Would I ask otherwise?"

Bruce starts to talk, but Ana comes up and hands him a slip of paper. He glances down at it, then nods at her.

Dick tilts his head, eyebrows raised. Another waitress passes, and she leaves a piece of paper next to his bowl.

Bruce smiles and tucks it into his pants. "Where was I?"

"Giant penny" Dick answers, picking up the slip of paper. It has a phone number, name, and address.

Bruce nods. "Alright, so it started with-" A third waitress comes up with a phone, and offers it to him. He answers it, then curses. "Seriously, Clark? You did what? No, no, no. No."

"I'm not going to hear this story, am I?" He pouts.

"Clark- slow down, stop crying- Give the phone to Diana." He sighs heavily. "Finally, someone who makes sense. What is he doing? Okay. Take the whipped cream away from him, make Oliver stop laughing, and tell Barry that _no vibrating through people isn't funny_."

Dick snorts.

"What the fuck did Hal do?" Bruce groans. "No, no, no. Take his ring, his beer, _something_ away. Put him and Barry in the time out closet, no I don't care if their girlfriends will be upset."

Dick bit his lip. "Isn't Hal's girlfriend a super-villain?"

Bruce glances at Dick. "I don't know. Diana, I'm not coming in for the next month. Okay? Good luck, remember, Hal isn't good with yellow. Just. Please."

"Barry can't vibrate through the lasso of truth"

"Diana- use your lasso on Barry. No, this isn't a joke."

"It's yellow. Use it on both of them." Dick notes. He yawns a little.

"Use it on Hal _and_ Barry, Diana. I don't care what you do, just make Clark stop crying like the little-"

Dick glances up. "Bruce?"

Bruce clicks a button on the phone and hands it back to the waitress. "Clark is. Sobbing uncontrollably into a can of whipped cream, Hal is making constructs around him while Barry vibrates through Ollie for fun. And Clark. And poor Diana is left to deal with all of them."

Dick snorts. "The lasso should work." He yawns again. "Sounds like your average Tuesday"

"Sadly, I can't argue. Except normally they're in costume and Diana is doing whatever BDSM warrior queens do."

Dick snorts.

"She makes fun of Clark a lot. Please tell me they still do that. They're like an old married couple, except not together. I love it."

"That has not changed. She has two little sisters who join in on the making fun, too. Donna is my favorite, she's the queen of the Titans."

Bruce smiles. "Do more women join JLA?"

"Troia, Jade, Hawk-Woman, Tigress, Huntress, Supergirl, Powergirl..."

Bruce nods. "And more men join?"

"Well, yeah. Last time I checked we had over 200 members, not counting our alliance with the Green Lantern Corps"

Bruce whistles.

"And currently, Batman is the unofficial leader and very official tactician"

"Really?"

Dick nods a little. He smiles a little hopefully.

"I'm glad things go well." Bruce nods and finishes his plate. "Want to do dessert as well? It's..." He looks around for a clock. "Somehow six pm."

Dick shrugged, and pushed his plate away. He'd only eaten a quarter of it. "Not all that hungry." He yawns again.

"Are you sure?"

Dick nods, and smiles softly.

Bruce nods back. "Alright."

Dick's smile widens.

"Want to go home and sleep until things make sense, or patrol?"

"Need to make a suit, but patrol sounds good."

"Okay. Let's."

Dick scratches his neck. "D'ya think I'll still have my job when I get back...?"

"Maybe?"

Dick hums. "Wonder how many sick days policemen have..."

"Probably not enough."

Dick sighed. "And this year would've been my tenth year. Dang."

"Good luck. Maybe tell them a relative passed?"

"Hmm..." Dick thinks a moment. "Tim will probably come up with something."

Bruce nodded and set some money on the table, nodding to Kim as they walk outl.

Dick smiled again, and blushed a little at the wink one waitress sent him.

They get back to the car, and Bruce continues driving in a different direction than the one they came from.

"Uh, where are we going?"

"Fabric."

Dick nods. "Make sure to get Kevlar."

"Already have plenty."

"And you don't want to waste any on a suit you'll probably destroy after I leave."

"I will use as much of it as sensible on your suit, Dick."

"Which is none of what you have in reserves because we use those on the Robins' suits"

"You do realize Kevlar is ordered, right?"

"I remember there being the same amount of Kevlar when I get back as when I left"

"Dick. No."

"I remember it. I remember it very clearly."

"You're here a month, I'll order more."

Dick huffs.

"If you think I'm backing down, you're wrong."

Dick frowns. "Bruce."

"What? If you die now, I don't know what I'd do."

"Well, for one thing, If I die tonight then young me would immediately switch places with my corpse."

"And your future friends would be shocked, saddened, horrified, and traumatized. I'm not having that, Dick."

"It doesn't happen tonight, and I also know that you reinforce the Robin suit with a good portion of it, which is why Jason survived as long as he did."

"Then why don't we just not patrol tonight?"

Dick sighed. "I could just use my batsuit, and leave the cowl. We've got plenty of domino masks"

"Fine. No cape."

"Always hated capes"

Bruce frowned. "You liked mine."

"I hate wearing capes" Dick clarifies. "Other people look good in capes"

"Do you think about my cape a lot?"

".......Maybe"

Bruce smiled. "Good."

Dick nodded a little.

"So, we will go on patrol?" Bruce asks at a traffic light.

Dick nods again. "Yep"

"Should we do something before patrol?"

"Do you want to?"

"I was asking you."

"And I'm up for suggestions"

"But I don't know what I want to do."

Dick bit his lip. "Um..."

"Yes?"

Dick thought a bit. "I don't know..."

Bruce hummed, and pulled to a stop in front of a bakery. He wasn't hungry, just wanted to see the woman who owned it again.

Dick glanced up at where they were. He didn't recognize the bakery.

Bruce waits a moment, then starts the car again, satisfied.

"Uh... Bruce?"

"Hm?"

"What was that?"

"Needed to see something."

"Okay..."

Bruce pulls out, then starts in a different direction.

"Where are we headed now?"

"I don't know. I'll just make random turns and end up somewhere in the bad part of town. Have a set of dominoes in the front seat, if need be.

Dick frowned. "I forget how unorganized we were once upon a time"

"This is just me dealing with the JLA's supposed adulthood and trying not to think about how pretty and annoying Clark is when he cries."

"I meant the lack of stopping by the cave in a compulsive need to let everyone know what we're doing and that all of us are alive"

Bruce raises an eyebrow. "I actually do that?"

Dick nods a little.

"Weird."

"You got really... controlling?"

"More than now?"

"Well, two of your partners and a couple of our friends died, so... It's understandable"

"Oh. I don't want to know anymore."

Dick bit his lip, looking down. "Sorry..."

"I don't want to know who. I'll be sad enough when it happens, warning will make me..." He shakes his head.

Dick nods a little. "I'm sorry."

Bruce hums, and glances around them, before making a right onto a back road.

Dick glances around, frowning.

"I remembered there was a club I wanted to check, but it's not the place you go to in button downs."

Dick hums.

Bruce pulls into a dingy parking lot in front of a paint-covered brick building, and gets out.

Dick gets out as well, looking around. He sees a kid watching them from another alley.

When Bruce walks inside, he smiles at the guy behind the counter. The guy gets up, and goes around the counter to give him him a hug. "Matches! Been a while since you came to me, babe. Let's get you outta that rich-people shit." He starts unbuttoning Bruce's shirt, and Bruce lets him. "Luke, this is my..." He leaves a tastefully long pause. "Friend, and we'll both be needing outfits." Luke glances at Dick as he pushes the fabric off Bruce's shoulders. "You both hittin' the scene?" "Yes, to make sure my people are doing what they need to do."

Dick smiles a little self-consciously, glancing around. The kid is still watching their car. Dick can't figure out why he looks so familiar...

Luke walks away for a second, coming back with some obnoxiously colored clothes, mostly in neon, fishnet, and black.

Dick's eyes widen, and his smiles turns genuine. He loves the clothes and he doesn't even know who's wearing what.

A neon yellow... Something? Is pulled onto Bruce, then a black button down and a pink belt added. "One day you'll get some jewelry, and be more convincing." Luke says, tapping Bruce's chest. He rolls his eyes, and pats Luke's shoulder.

Dick can't help the snort. He pulls his button up off, and waits a bit for Luke to hand him something.

Luke hums, then nods, handing Dick some odd combination of blues and yellows, something lace? and a black undershirt.

Dick dresses easily, smiling to himself.

"Dick, you look fantastic." Bruce smiles. "Oh, so you're goin for it literally, now, M?" Luke asks, and goes back to the counter. "Come see me soon, maybe sometime you'll be single."

Dick snorts. "My name is Richard Malone. Most call me Robbie, though" He smiles. He snorts at Bruce. "Except, of course, Matches here."

Luke nods. "M, want anything else?" Bruce hums and glances at Dick.

Dick shrugs. "I'm good."

Bruce nods at Luke, who nods back. "If you ever want anything, we got it. Now, best get outside before J steals your tires."

"J-? Oh, oh. Yeah, Matches, let's"

"One sec, Luke, who's J?" Luke smiles. "Just a brat I know."

Dick glances back, and oh yeah, that is definitely Baby Jason. He slips outside and smiles at him.

Bruce nods at Luke, and slips him a set of hundreds. "Make sure 'J' sleeps safe, got it?" Luke nods. "Usually do, boss." Bruce steps outside to join Dick, glancing around to try to see this 'J', but all he sees is a flash of red hair.

Dick waves a little, and gives his most disarming smile.

Bruce gets in the car. "You lit up like christmas when Luke mentioned the kid, he important?"

"What names start with J?"


End file.
